Bottled Water Really Is Toxic
by rainydaymonday
Summary: Response to my own challenge.... just b/c I couldn't resist : CSI team as superheroes/heroes....
1. The Backstory

****

Clearly I do not own CSI or any of the characters.

Just so there's no confusion...italics means the flashback scenes. They're pretty much every other one, but just in case, I denoted them. :)

Response to my own challenge of the CSI's as superheroes......

* * *

The whole thing was Grissom's fault.

On that, they _could_ all agree.

In fact, these days, it was about the _only_ thing they could agree on.

* * *

"I'm going to _kill _Grissom!" Catherine hissed as she stormed into the break room to find the rest of the nightshift, minus Grissom.

"Cath...it _really _can't be worse than mine." Nick sighed.

"Yeah, Cat....what's up?" Greg asked.

"Do NOT call me that Greg!" She said flustered, and moved over to a table to sit down.

"Hey!" Nick yelped since Catherine sat right on him.

"Sorry, Nicky...but you need to announce yourself when we can't see you!"

* * *

_It had started off small enough. Some friend of Grissom's back in San Francisco needed some volunteers for some research he was doing in genetics. He had inquired with Grissom hoping that his team might be interested. He had even flown out to do a presentation for them-----and tell them how much they would be paid if they participated._

_They politely listened._

_And they politely declined._

_He persisted and they still declined._

_Grissom spoke up for his team by telling his friend that he hoped he'd find better luck with someone else, but would he be interested in having dinner with them, to which he agreed._

* * *

"You know Catherine....even if you could see me, you couldn't with those sunglasses on inside. Why don't you take them off? And since when did you start wearing really long coats in the middle of the summer---or ever for that matter." Nick answered back.

"Nick....maybe you should leave her alone." Sara stated right out.

Catherine began to thank her, but then remembered how Sara knew he should leave her alone. It gave her the heebee-jeebees that Sara knew what she was thinking.

"I think I'll leave them on for now if you don't mind. And WHERE is Grissom?!"

"Right here." He suddenly said behind them.

"You....me...your office....now." Catherine ordered. "And don't do that thing......"

"What thing?" He smiled as they were now standing in his office.

"...that snappy thing." She finished, giving him a death glare beneath her sunglasses.

* * *

_Warrick and Catherine had gone out to pick up burgers for everybody but got a little side-tracked when he saw a homeless kitten that he convinced Catherine to pick up and take home to Lindsey. She finally agreed, but insisted that he be the one to come clean out the litter box every other day. He didn't seem to mind too much, replying, "I like cats." However, Catherine suspected that maybe he liked a little more than that._

_They got back to the lab and Catherine put the kitten in her office until shift was over. They took the food to the break room and passed it out to everyone._

_"Sorry we didn't get drinks you guys....we figured everyone could get their own." Warrick said._

_"Oh, let me. I always carry a ton of bottled water with me since I'm always so thirsty." Grissom's friend said and passed the bottles around the table. Everyone thanked him and after dinner, he was on his way back to the airport._

_"I'm glad he's gone." Greg whispered to Sara. "He gave me the creeps."_

_"Yeah, me too." She replied, as the team headed out to get back to work._

* * *

_The next morning by the time everyone got home-----weird things had started happening._

_Sara could hear what people were thinking._

_Nick seemed to be turning into the invisible woman. Parts of his body were randomly disappearing and then reappearing._

_Warrick kind of accidentally pulled his back door off when he got home. And continued to break just about everything._

_Greg began hovering above the ground._

_Grissom....everytime Grissom thought of a place he seemed to "pop" right there. He was highly intrigued. _

_He was the only one. Everyone else was, for lack of a better phrase, freaking out._

_Catherine. Nothing weird had happened to Catherine. In fact, outside of the kitten scratching her unbelievably hard for such a small thing, her morning was uneventful._

* * *

**Alrighty, this is basically the prologue...although this is by no means going to be a long story....REVIEW!! **


	2. Fine Just Fine

****

Clearly I do not own CSI or any of the characters.

Just so there's no confusion...italics means the flashback scenes. They're pretty much every other one, but just in case, I denoted them. :)

Response to my own challenge of the CSI's as superheroes......

* * *

"I'm sorry Catherine. It's just.....so.....interesting." He smiled as she still glared. "Now, what's got you all upset this morning?"

"This _thing._ Whatever it is your idiot friend put in our water." She answered.

"Whoa, wait just a minute. I thought you were _happy_ that you seemed to be immune?"

"I was! But...." She took her sunglasses off. "Obviously I'm not immune and this is so much worse than all of yours!"

* * *

_Lindsey had loved the kitten. Catherine was definitely glad she'd listened to Warrick on that one._

_After she'd taken Lindsey to school she came back home, took a shower and headed for the kitchen to eat some breakfast. She rummaged around through the pantry with the intent of getting some cereal, but her eyes kept wandering to the pre-packaged lunch packets of tuna on the top shelf._

_Weird. She thought, but decided to eat it since that was obviously what she wanted._

* * *

_That morning they all resisted the urge to call someone. Sure, they all had a pretty good idea it had something to do with that guy from San Francisco, but they wanted to make sure they weren't crazy before telling anyone._

_Nick finally went completely invisible around 2 PM. _

_Sara couldn't take being around people anymore and went back home to sit in silence._

_Warrick had definitely broken almost everything in his house-----but was getting at least a semi-handle on how strong he was._

_Greg-----Greg was a kid in a candy store. Once he learned how to "fly" exactly, well, he still hadn't been home._

_Grissom was doing research in some books before placing a much-needed phone call to his "buddy" in genetics._

_Against their better judgement, the team headed to the lab that evening without calling in sick. It was Warrick who "called a meeting" in the break room before they went out on calls._

_"I'm not really sure how to put this, but...has anyone else......?" He began._

_"Yes!" They all answered, except for Catherine, in unison._

_"What's going on?" Catherine asked._

_"Nothing weird has happened to you?" Sara asked. "Like being able to read people's minds?"_

_"Or fly?" Greg suggested._

_"Be super strong..."_

_"Snap your fingers and go anywhere you want...."_

_"Be invisible." _

_They all jumped as none of them had seen Nick._

_"Wow. No......nothing like that has happened." Catherine responded, in shock._

_"Guys." Grissom began. "I've made some phone calls to.....San Francisco......and it seems that a man I used to call a friend...."_

_"Poisoned our water bottles with some weird gene mutating chemical??" Sara beat him to the punch._

_"Basically, yeah." He answered._

_"Well, then how come Catherine's fine? She drank the water too." Greg questioned._

_"I'm not sure. It's possible she's immune to the affects somehow. He said that in theory some people would be immune and that others would just experience a much slower genetic mutation. So I'm guessing either one of those things is possible with Catherine." Grissom mused._

_"Great." She said._

_"Awww, Cath...it's really not so bad." Greg said smiling. "It's like we're all just better versions of ourselves."_

_"Whatever, dude." Nick said angrily. "Flying may be great, but being invisible kind of puts a damper on my life, man. Grissom, what the hell are we supposed to do with this?!"_

_"We could be superheroes!" Greg piped up smiling._

_"Shut UP Greg!" They all said back, shooting down his idea._

* * *

_Catherine was definitely not jealous or upset that she wasn't affected by the drug or chemical or whatever it was, but still, the lurking feeling of "what if" haunted her mind. How long would it be before she was out in the clear?_

_Shift went by normally. Normal for a night when all your co-workers had suddenly become superheroes (well, the ability to be at least)._

_She and Warrick were almost done with their case. (They'd been set back because he kept breaking things in the lab) They just had to go see Greg for his DNA profile. While they were waiting on it to print out, he kept swinging his ID (on a lanyard) back and forth, back and forth, and Catherine found herself utterly mesmerized. She wasn't sure how much time passed, but she was all of a sudden aware of Warrick asking her if she was ok._

_Yes. She was fine._

_

* * *

_

**REVIEW!!! Hopefully more later....or tomorrow....or...whenever.... :)**


	3. In Which there is barking and hissing

****

Clearly I do not own CSI or any of the characters.

Just so there's no confusion...italics means the flashback scenes. They're pretty much every other one, but just in case, I denoted them. :)

Response to my own challenge of the CSI's as superheroes......

* * *

_"I...I think we're done here, right?" Catherine asked Warrick as she touched her hand to her forehead and went to gather her things._

_She spent her drive home thinking. Something was up. She could feel it. She just hoped that it didn't have to do with what was happening to everyone else-------she knew though._

* * *

_After getting home and showering, it was only a matter of time before she realized that she had indeed been affected. At first it was her vision. She took her contacts out and saw better without them. Then she heard Lindsey talking on the phone in her bedroom even though she had been whispering. The final straw was when she was all of a sudden aware of a million different and distinct smells. She could smell everything in the house----from her perfume, to Lindsey's, to what was downstairs in the trashcan._

_Well. She thought. This is kind of cool. I can definitely take heightened senses. Especially over being invisible....poor Nick._

_About that time there was a knock at her door. Of course she had heard someone walking up to it several seconds prior. As she bounded down the stairs, she got a whiff of something.......someone........and knew it was Warrick._

_She opened the door, ushering him inside, and he spoke._

_"Uh...Cath? It's been a weird couple of days and I could really use....well, I could really go out for a good breakfast. You game?"_

_She smiled. They had been flirting on and off for a couple of years, but it had never gone anywhere. Perhaps......._

_"Sure. Let me just throw some jeans and a t-shirt on and we can walk down to a new bakery that just opened." She smiled flirtatiously._

_He watched her walk up the stairs. Truth was, he had it bad for her. He'd wanted to spend more time with her (alone) but things kept coming up. So this morning finally seemed like the right time._

_She came back down wearing jeans, a fitted t-shirt and some running shoes. She grabbed a jacket and they were off._

_It was a nice morning in Las Vegas so Warrick was thankful for the fresh air. They talked shop for a few minutes before Catherine worked up the nerve to ask Warrick about breakfast._

_"So. Us having breakfast this morning......is this like a....we're friends thing....or a you want to get me alone thing?" She grinned._

_Before he could answer, though, a woman walking a german shepherd approached them and the dog went crazy. Barking and growling and trying to lunge at Catherine. Instinctually she hissed at the dog, instantly thinking, "What the hell was that?" Warrick got in between them as he gently pulled Catherine out of the way and on down the sidewalk._

_"Damn." He thought. That was horrible timing._

_"That woman probably needs to have that dog put down." She spoke up._

_"Yeah, you're right. He just went crazy on us-------on you."_

_"Thanks for getting in between us. I froze up there."_

_Warrick chuckled, "Yeah you did. You, uh....hissed at him?"_

_Catherine did not like being called out. Especially on weird and possibly science fiction level behavior that she had no explanation for. So she changed the subject._

_"So is this a date or not?" She said flately and very unromantically._

_"We'll see." Warrick replied._

_

* * *

_

_The "date" went well and both involved were pretty sure it was in fact, a date, by the time they had parted ways (a quick kiss involved) and headed home for some sleep._

_Both drifted off on a cloud._

_But Catherine did not wake up that way._

_Her alarm went off a little too loudly. She stumbled to the bathroom making a mental note to turn the volume down on.........everything._

_Flipping the light on she was met by eyes that were not exactly hers._

* * *

"Alright...." Grissom said slowly. "It's clear you were affected..."

"You think? Grissom...what am I supposed to do about this? I can't just wear sunglasses all day everyday and I certainly can't walk around without them. I'm not really ready to preface each introduction with, Hi, I'm Catherine and apparently I'm part cat."

"You're right, Catherine. But think about Nick...he's invisible....."

She sank into a chair and sighed. "I know."

There was silence for a few minutes while Grissom processed.

"How else are you affected?" He asked slowly.

"I don't know.....in everything! Obviously the cat-eyes, all my senses are heightened, dogs are barking at me everywhere I go, I've, uh....hissed at them a few times, I'm easily distracted by pretty shiny things.....oh.....and all I want to eat is tuna. You happy now?"

"Weird."

"Yeah...."

"No.....this is different from the rest of us. Our DNA mutated but stayed human. There's no way you can still be completely human."

"Thanks Grissom."

"I just don't know how it happened is all........let me think about it and I'll get back to you."

Catherine lost her patience and stood up in front of his desk.

"No! You think about it NOW and call that criminal friend of yours!" She yelled.

"I don't know if I can just get him on the phone, Cath..."

"Do it now Grissom!" She slammed her hands down on his desk, feeling something pop as she did so.

"Great. Apparantly I have retractable claws as well." She turned to leave. "Figure this out Grissom. Get him here and change us back."

Grissom surveyed the damage to his desktop. He whispered, "You left claw marks on my desk Catherine....."

From somewhere down the hall he vaguely heard her yell, "I heard that Grissom!"

* * *

**REVIEW! Whew..that was a pretty catherine-centric chapter...but don't worry...everyone else is still in this!!! :)**


	4. Getting This Stuff Down

****

Clearly I do not own CSI or any of the characters.

Just so there's no confusion...italics means the flashback scenes. They're pretty much every other one, but just in case, I denoted them. :)

Response to my own challenge of the CSI's as superheroes......

* * *

The team worked through shift the best they could, tensions mounting throughout the night.

Greg and Grissom were the only ones who weren't upset over their changes, but then again, they probably had the easiest ones to deal with.

Everyone kept tripping over Nick, Warrick was _still _breaking things, Sara was an emotional and scatter-brained wreck (well, maybe that's how she always was), and Catherine was struggling to keep her feline side in check.

A few minutes before everyone was off the clock, Grissom stepped out to take a call, coming back quickly with a smile.

"Guys, Robert, the water guy, just boarded a plane for Vegas."

They all knew they should be excited, but they were too tired and frustrated to show it.

"How'd you swing that?" Nick asked from.....an undetermined location.

"I told him we'd be pressing criminal charges and he said he would get the next flight out."

"Criminal charges for what, Grissom?" Warrick probed.

"Water tampering I guess..." Greg smirked, which prompted everyone else to at least crack a smile.

"Maybe...." Sara began. "Maybe we should......figure things out, you know? In case we're stuck this way....."

"What? Like...what we're going to do now with all this power?" Greg said in a comic-bookish way.

"Basically, yeah." She answered. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm not sure I have a handle on what's happened to me......I'd like to explore it a little bit more....but, I for one need people around to figure mine out."

"She's right." Catherine piped up, rolling her eyes beneath her sunglasses. "Why don't we all go grab something to eat and meet up at my house, and Gil....you can tell _Robert_ to take a taxi there.....although someone is going to need to restrain me when he gets there or I swear I'll claw his eyes out."

"Ok, then..." Greg said slowly, "And on that note....I"ll see you at your house in a little bit Catherine." He turned and left, and the others slowly followed suit.

* * *

An hour or so later, everyone gathered in Catherine's living room, scattering around on the sofa and floor. Now that they had food and had changed into some comfortable, fresh clothes, the mood was a tad lightened........well, a _tad._

Greg had been fiddling with a package of beef jerkey for way too long in Catherine's opinion and she finally jerked it away from him, allowed her claws to lengthen and ripped into it.

"Uh, thanks, Cath. That's, uh, some nice claw action you got going on there...." He said.

She shot him a warning glance with her un-covered up eyes, and Greg had to admit, they were scarier than they had been when they were normal......and her looks had been pretty scary to start with. In fact, when they had arrived, she still had the glasses on, but it was Warrick who gently spoke with her about removing them. This _was _happening to the whole group, he reminded her. Apparently she had listened, because when they had come back into the living room, the shades were gone. Despite the fact the team wasn't so surprised by what they saw, it was still hard not to stare when one of your supervisors had eyes like that.

"Whoa....Catherine......you're giving off some seriously angry vibes right now." Sara jumped in.

"So you can feel emotions too?" Nick asked.

"I guess I can." She replied and was suddenly aware of attraction.......coming from both Warrick and Grissom.......and centered on herself and Catherine. "Hmmm....yes, I definitely can." She grinned.

"Well, good for you." Warrick said huffing. "Must be nice to have a nice, quiet little superpower like yours....."

"Excuse me? I haven't been able to think straight because of all the thoughts entering my brain. I don't want them there and I can't get rid of them." She felt her blood pressure rising. "I just want it to stop!"

"Well, not me......flying's great." Greg said, to which about half the room told him to shut-up.

Sara was starting to get sick to her stomach from all the emotion in the room and that smell didn't help any.

"What IS that smell?!" She yelled.

"That, I believe, is Catherine's food." Nick said, trying to remain calm.

"Good grief, Catherine....is that _raw_ fish?"

"Yes." Catherine answered tersely.

"You really need to get a handle on yourself or the next thing we all know, you'll be a cat nip addict!" She said angrily.

Catherine's eyes widened, she set her plate down and calmly stood up.

It was a good thing Warrick saw her claws out when he did because he stepped in between them just in time, holding them apart until Grissom could help out. He pulled Sara away and let Warrick handle Catherine. Despite his newly acquired strength, he was surprised at how strong she was and didn't walk away without being scratched up some. He pulled her into the kitchen, forcing her to sit down on a stool.

"You have GOT to get a grip on yourself, Cath." He said calmly but firmly, placing his hands gently on her shoulders.

She didn't say anything.

"Listen. I know this is hard. Of all people, the people in this house know how you're feeling."

"No they don't." She almost whispered.

"Why not?"

"Sure all of you are having a hard time and I get that. None of this could be easy......even Greg and Grissom in there......you can't just go around flying or popping all over the place without consequences. Without being seen and hauled off to some facility to be tested on. So what about me and Nick? Neither of us can live a normal life anymore." She said sadly. "At least the rest of you still look normal. At least the rest of you are still....._kind_ of human."

"Catherine....you are too."

"Thanks Warrick....but that's where you're wrong. I can feel it. It's like there's this internal struggle going on between my human side and this........_feline _animal thing going on. Like almost attacking Sara.....I can't believe I did that......but this.....animal rage just came over me."

"Well, maybe that's something we can work on......together." He smiled. "There's got to be a way for you to outlet all that......so what do you say we go back in there and all work through this like we always do......as a team."

Catherine was silent but stood up and hugged Warrick. He made her feel so safe, so secure.

"Thank you Warrick." She said softly. "Maybe.....sometime soon you and I could go out for breakfast again?" She suddenly felt a surge of insecurity and quickly added, "That is....if you don't mind going out with a woman who is......just as much cat as she is woman......?"

He put his hands on either side of her face and smiled. "I thought I told you the other night......I like cats." He said and pulled her tight once more, being careful not to squeeze her as hard as he actually wanted to.

About the same time they were both aware of a low and calming sound.

"Catherine? Are you purring?" He grinned, thinking it was actually really cute.

"Um......I guess that means I like you too?"

* * *

The team was still at Catherine's house an hour or so later, the two women having exchanged apologies for letting their situation get the best of them, and were now working on figuring out the _extent _of everyone's capabilities, as well as ways to control them.

After popping from room to room for a while, Grissom, having popped into a room where Warrick and Catherine had been kissing, freaked out and threw his hands up, knocking both of the other CSI's across the room and down in the process.

"Whoa, Grissom.......that's a pretty neat forcefield ability you have going on there...." Warrick smiled, helping Catherine up, who had landed right side up on her hands and feet.

"Yeah.....I need to explore this more.....and Warrick....help Catherine find out if she always lands on her feet.....which I suspect she will....." Grissom said and popped back out.

* * *

Greg, having pretty much already mastered his flying was downstairs trying to help Nick focus. He and Sara both had a theory that if he focused hard enough of being visible...that he might be again.

They had been at it for a while with no luck.....but suddenly, Greg saw Nick's hand.

"It worked! Your hand!!" Greg yelped.

If either of them could have seen Nick's face, they would have known his eyes were watering at the thought that he could be seen again. Sara could feel what a toll it was on him and thought to herself, "It'll be ok Nick...."

"Oh I know Sara..." he said outloud.

"You know what?" She asked.

"That it'll be ok....?" Nick said like she was a little loopy.

"She didn't say that outloud, dude." Greg said.

"Alright. Nick....after we get you visible again, we're so working on me talking to you guys without actually talking." She said somewhat excitedly.

"It's a plan." Nick said.

* * *

"Ok....are you ready?" Warrick asked Catherine.

"Whew...I think so. And you'll be at the bottom to catch me if it looks like it's not going to work?"

"Yes......but if earlier is any indication......"

"My feline DNA will ensure I'm fine...." She finished for him.

He walked downstairs and she stayed at the top next to the hallway bannister that began before the stairs descended. Working on the theory that she now had extraordinary balance, as well as strength, flexibility, and reflexes, she took a deep breath and attempted to jump onto the 4 in wide railing. In one swift movement, she landed smoothly on the rail, standing on it easily. The next part of their experiment, however, she wasn't as sure about, but knew Warrick was plenty strong enough to catch her if need be. She took yet another deep breath and let herself fall off the bannister with her back facing the floor. About one second before impact, her body completely flipped over and she landed perfectly on her hands and feet.

"Damn......that's cool." Warrick smiled.

"Maybe...." She admitted and sauntered on over to him. "Maybe we should continue where we left off earlier......." She suggested, but was stopped by the sound of a taxi approaching.

"He's hear!" She yelled at everyone.

"How does she know that?" Nick pondered _visibly_, coming into the entryway with everyone else.

"Man...she hears _everything _now. Just for future reference....be careful with that......." Warrick warned him.

"Gotcha." Nick said smiling.

They all stood there as the door opened.

"We need to talk." Grissom said, raising one eyebrow.

* * *

**REVIEW!!!!**


	5. So We're Stuck This Way?

****

Clearly I do not own CSI or any of the characters.

Just so there's no confusion...italics means the flashback scenes. They're pretty much every other one, but just in case, I denoted them. :)

Response to my own challenge of the CSI's as superheroes......

* * *

Warrick grabbed Catherine's hand and squeezed it as Grissom let Robert into her house. He didn't want to find out if she'd make good on the threat she'd made earlier to "claw his eyes out." They were the last two to come into the living room and sit down on the floor.

"So...I assume you know why we asked you to come here?" Grissom started slowly.

"Yes...I do. I added the genetic mutation formula I've been working on to those bottles of water I gave you." Robert said, his head hanging. "I'm sorry, too...but....I needed to test it on......responsible people. People who wouldn't abuse the abilities they might develop. People who would use them for good.........I just felt......after I met you I knew you would be those people."

"You do realize that you did this behind our back without our permission." Sara piped up. "Maybe we will be responsible with these......abilities or whatever......but did you ever stop to think that this might just ruin our lives?"

"No.....I assumed......if anything....you'd see this as a gift." He answered.

"A gift...." Catherine scoffed. "Yeah, me never being able to be in public without covering up my eyes is a definite gift.......I can't thank you enough for turning me into a _freak_."

"I don't understand." Robert said slowly looking at Catherine.

"What?" Nick asked.

"It wasn't suppose to do this......this. The formula was created to mutate and evolve human DNA.......I don't....I mean, your like a cat right?"

Warrick continued to hold Catherine's hand but almost had to let go as her claws pierced his skin. "Ouch!"

She dropped his hand. "I'm sorry Warrick...." She turned to Robert, "Yes...I'm "like a cat". Although, it's really a little more than that. Greg here did some DNA profiling on all of us earlier today...and what were the results on mine again?"

Greg cleared his throat. "After analyzing it closely, it appears that Catherine's DNA is about a 60 to 40 percent ratio of human to feline."

"So there you go. Any explanation?" She asked.

"Not unless there was contamination." He thought for a moment. "Maybe.....if feline DNA was introduced into your system at around the same time as the water...? Then perhaps they could have ended up working in conjunction."

"Well, how on earth could she have gotten that into her body as well?" Nick asked, irritated with this guy and the pain he was putting at least some of them through.

"The kitten." Catherine suddenly realized.

"What?" Sara asked.

"The kitten that Warrick and I brought home for Lindsey. The other morning....after we drank the water.....it scratched me so hard it drew blood."

"And there's your answer." Robert said.

"Ok, so fix it. Fix us." Nick pushed.

"Very simply, I can't. Once DNA has mutated, it can't just un-mutate. Even attempting to force it to go back would cause all of your DNA to unravel......"

"And we would die." Grissom finished for him.

Sara pushed her thoughts into Warricks quickly, "Stop her."

"What was that, Sara?" He asked but didn't get a response in time. Catherine had leapt from the floor and was now on top of Robert, her hands at his throat. Warrick grabbed her and had to pry her off of someone for the second time that night.

"I'm sorry..." He said. "She's having some......_aggression _issues right now. Not that I can blame her......the rest of us can go on and at least appear normal to the outside world......but what about Catherine? You just told her she's stuck like this.......what would you have done...?" And with that, he followed her upstairs.

* * *

When Warrick got upstairs, he knocked on her bedroom door. When there was no answer, he let himself in only to find the window open and Catherine gone.

"Great."

* * *

"So what now......now that we know there's no going back?" Nick asked everyone.

"Guys...I know it sounds cliche.....but we really _could _be superheroes......or at least super csi's...." He laughed.

"I don't know." Nick replied.

"The kids right." Robert joined in, unwelcome. "You have these abilities, you already work in law enforcement....and from what Grissom has told me about all of you, I can't imagine a better group of people to stand up against injustice."

"We already stand up against injustice." Grissom said.

"Maybe we could do more, though..." Sara said. "We're always so upset when we can't do enough. When the bad guys get away. Maybe we could stop some of this from happening in the first place."

"Maybe." Nick said as Grissom and Greg thought over what Sara had proposed. She made it sound so real, like something they could actually accomplish. Perhaps they really could turn this into something positive.

"Well, we'll need to talk it over with Warrick and Catherine....although I'm not really sure what else she can do at this point anyway, but I am, under no circumstances, going to be wearing spandex." Grissom said, smiling.

* * *

Catherine had gone back to the lab in hopes of finding one of those bottles of water still lying around.

She had.

Next, she let her sense of smell help her find exactly what else she was looking for.

Once she had found it, she made her way back to her car and climbed in.

"Warrick. What are you doing here?" She asked and saw him sit up in the back seat.

"How did you know?"

"I smelled you. You have a distinct smell....not like anyone else's. You all do....did you know that?" She didn't sound good.....like she was losing her grip or something.

"No, I didn't. Catherine....what are you doing? You just left....."

"Actually, I just jumped out the window. I figure I might as well _use _my new side. I'm stuck like this aren't I? So, I might as well get used to it. Get used to not feeling so human anymore."

"Cath....we talked about this.....I thought you were ok..."

"I thought I was too......obviously I still thought I might could be fixed...!"

"That still doesn't explain what you're doing out here, at night, by yourself....with _that._" He motioned to the bound dog in the front seat.

Catherine sighed, rolled her eyes and climbed into the back seat and into Warrick's lap. "I.....can take care of myself. Especially now........and _that _is no one's business but my own."

"Is that how you got those bites on your arms and hands?" He asked, eyeing the dried blood on her sleeves.

"Yes." She had been careful, but then again....dogs _really _hated her, so it had been hard to avoid getting bitten at all.

"Come on, Cath. Let's get you home. I'll clean you up and we can get you something to eat. You're tired. We all are, and roaming around doing who knows what isn't going to change what's happened or that we have to deal with it."

She huffed a bit but climbed back into the front and started the car.

* * *

By the time they made it back, everyone had fallen asleep. Not knowing what to do, no one had gone home, so they all just sprawled out around Catherine's house and went to sleep. Warrick had gone into the bathroom to get some peroxide for Catherine's bites, and when he came back out she was gone again.

A minute later he heard the growling.

It was coming from the backyard. He ran downstairs and into the backyard just in time to see Catherine on top of Robert again, forcing bottled water down his throat. Robert choked and sputtered, but swallowed some of it nonetheless.

"Are you happy now?" He yelled at her.

She mischevously eyed him, "Not quite."

Before Warrick could step in, Catherine untied the dog she had carried home with them, using herself as a lure to get him over to Robert. She was bitten again, despite all her hissing and clawing------but then again, so was Robert.

* * *

**REVIEW!!!!**


	6. We're In

****

Clearly I do not own CSI or any of the characters.

Just so there's no confusion...italics means the flashback scenes. They're pretty much every other one, but just in case, I denoted them. :)

Response to my own challenge of the CSI's as superheroes......

* * *

Warrick pulled Catherine out of the fight (again) with Robert, but not before Robert took a little action of his own.

"You bitch!" He yelled and lunged for her.

Catherine jumped out of the way and Warrick.......well, Warrick knocked Robert unconscious, and grabbed the dog, tying him back to a tree.

The noise had woken everyone up and they came running outside.

"What is going on?"Grissom yelled, looking at Robert, bloody and unconscious, Catherine on the ground and Warrick's clenched fists.

"I _think _Catherine was getting her....._revenge._" Warrick said, looking to Catherine for the rest of the story.

She slowly stood up. "Let's just say that he's going to know what it feels like to have your life turned upside down."

Nick saw the bottle of water on the ground. "You......you made him drink it?"

"Yes." She said firmly.

"Well, then, what's with the dog?" Nick continued.

"That? Well, I didn't really feel it would be fair for him to develop some ability that he would love. He wouldn't really get it now would he? So, working on his theory about contamination from earlier, I let the dog bite him.......hoping to..."

"Hoping to make him suffer like you?! Catherine! What is wrong with you? It's not your place to go around enacting revenge on people." Grissom yelled. No one had seen him this angry in a while. "How are we supposed to step up and use this to help people if all your concerned about is yourself and your own suffering. I'm not going to pretend that this is ok. That what you're going through isn't real or that you don't feel your life has been ruined. But, _Catherine...._you have a new chance here......to see the good in yourself now. To use this to stop bad things from happening in our city......to, as Sara said earlier while you were gone......to do more than we ever could as CSI's. The rest of us have talked it over and that's what we're going to do with this...unexpected turn of events in our life. What you and Warrick decide is up to you, but we've always been a team, all of us together, and I'd hate to split that up now." Grissom took a deep breath and walked over to Catherine, who was wiping a few tears from her cheeks. He hugged her for a moment before looking her and Warrick both in the eyes.

"Now....if we're going to.....you know.....be _superheroes_, then we're going to need the two of you. None of the rest of us are equipped well enough to do much actual fighting, but you two.......your the strong ones.........so what do you say? We're not going to be much without a front line of defense......"

"I'm in for sure." Warrick said looking to Catherine for a response.

"Alright." She said after a minute. "But I am NOT wearing spandex....."

The group burst into laughter since that was the second team member in one night to say that.

"What's so funny?" Warrick asked.

"Oh, just Grissom said the same thing earlier is all." Sara replied.

"Well, good...now that there's a second to that motion, it's official that _we're not wearing spandex_...." Grissom said smiling. "Now let's get Robert inside and cleaned up, and Catherine?"

"Yes?" She asked.

"Stay away from him." Grissom ordered.

"Gil, I'm not going to do anything else to him. I'm already suffering some regret here...."

"I know.....but I don't want him to try anything towards you when he wakes up. Besides, if that dog bite works the way your cat scratch did, then we're going to need to keep you two apart all the time."

"Fine." She said and traipsed inside with the rest of them.

* * *

Nick and Greg carried Robert upstairs and put him in the spare bedroom and then everyone headed back to bed, thankful that the next day was Saturday and no one had to work.

They all lay awake for a while thinking.

Thinking about what Catherine had done and if they'd have done the same thing given the chance.

Thinking about their newly found calling to go above and beyond their job as crime scene investigators.

Thinking about all the people they could help and about all the people they couldn't.

But despite all that serious thinking........they _all _dreamt of spandex.

* * *

**Review! Sorry this is short...but I'm at a dead-end for the night....now, the rest of you...go update!!! :)**


	7. The Calm Before The

****

Clearly I do not own CSI or any of the characters.

Just so there's no confusion...italics means the flashback scenes. They're pretty much every other one, but just in case, I denoted them. :)

Response to my own challenge of the CSI's as superheroes......

* * *

The next morning Warrick awoke to the smell of bacon. He was only able to resist for mere seconds before leaving the warmth of.....well, a sleeping bag, but still, it _was_ Saturday morning and while he did have super strength, he was still a mere mortal.....who loved food. He went downstairs to find Catherine, alone, in the kitchen cooking.

"Morning..." She said softly.

"Good morning. That smells.....so good." He said back, thinking how beautiful she looked.

"Well, it's almost ready. I hope everyone wakes up hungry." She wondered outloud.

"They will." Warrick replied and walked up behind her and put his arms around her waist, drawing his head down to her ear. "You are also so good if I might say so."

She blushed, "Yes, I think that's acceptable...." She felt a new and still somewhat unfamiliar and involuntary vibration emmitting from her chest and throat area and laughed a little nervously. "Stop. You're making me....._you know_....."

"Purr? What's so wrong about that?" He pryed.

"It's....well, it's embarassing that's what." She pulled away to pick up a fork to flip the bacon.

"Embarassing because it's not "normal" or embarassing because it's so obvious how you feel about me? It's cute........" He started to come closer to her yet again, but they were interrupted by Greg and Sara walking in, Sara freshly showered and Greg still rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

"Hey guys..." Sara said sleepily.

"Hey Sar....I'm making breakfast for everyone, but don't worry, I have some non-meat options for our resident vegetarian."

"Thanks, but I won't be picky today as long as you're not eating raw fish........." She looked up at Catherine hoping for confirmation.

"No, no, I, uh......already ate a couple of cans of tuna a little while ago, so I think I'll just stick to some milk while you guys eat." She said and started getting plates out of the cabinet just in time for the rest of the crew, minus _Robert _to pile in.

"Hey Cath....how you feelin' this morning?" Nick asked warily, wanting to go ahead and get the elephant out of the room.

"Better Nick. I'm rested and full and bandaged." She held up both her arms to prove it. "And I'm pretty sure I got most of my aggression out last night......although, I'm not going to pretend the thought of a good fight doesn't excite me." She shrugged her shoulders. "Blame the animal DNA......I know I do."

Everyone laughed and any remaining tension seemed to melt away. Everyone would agree that Catherine had come out of this the most scathed...and truth be told, the rest of them probably would have_ jammed_ that water bottle down that guy's throat. It was nice to see her more herself and everyone relaxed as they ate breakfast.

* * *

There had been a bit of arguing over what to do on their day off.

Greg had, of course, wanted to talk about "superhero" stuff.

Nick just wanted to go home and watch some football.

Grissom and Sara wouldn't have admitted it, but the two of them desperately needed some alone time and the same was true of Warrick and Catherine, although Catherine couldn't have cared _what_ she did as long as Robert was out of her house.

So, everyone had decided to "take some alone time" and Greg was the only one left feeling a bit disappointed.

Grissom had asked if it was ok if Robert stay at Catherine's, provided she left him alone. She stared at him for quite sometime before stammering a "yes" after Warrick had nudged her. They definitely decided he should stay at the house too, to which neither Catherine nor Warrick would disagree.

Ten minutes later and everyone was gone.

"So, what now Mr. Brown?" She asked playfully.

"Well, what would you like to do?" He asked in return.

"Hmmm....to kiss you _and _go......prowling around..?"

"Prowling around?"

"Yeah. I think to help keep me feeling myself I have to get this aggression out somehow and I'm sure there's someone in this city doing something they're not supposed to....."

"You're right, but in broad daylight Cath? What if someone sees? You said yourself you're not wearing any spandex or anything, so......what do you propose exactly?"

"I don't know..........we can think about it some more......maybe Greg'll come up with something." She laughed.

"I wouldn't put it past him." Warrick agreed. "Now, I'm going to go check on your houseguest and then we can get to that kissing thing you mentioned."

"Sounds good." She replied as he walked upstairs to her guest bedroom. She heard some mumbled talking from both men and despite knowing she shouldn't, sheer curiosity (you know what they say about _that) _pulled her upstairs. Had it worked? Had it not? She really just wondered.......and felt the need to apologize. Not for _what _she did...but the _manner _so to speak in which she did it.

She _was_ a bit tough.

Catherine heard Robert telling Warrick that he was feeling good and should probably get up in a while and get something to eat. She stepped into the doorway knowing that the water AND the bite had worked. He smelled like a dog. Her senses heightened even more and _had she had fur_, it would have stood on end. She forced herself to go forward one more step but halted immediately when she heard him begin to growl.

"Yeah...I feel the same way." She said through the doorway to him.

* * *

**Ok, so I know that wasn't the most exciting chapter...but I...just like the CSI's need a bit of a break before we jump into their "superhero shining glory moments...etc.." I'm not sure how it'll go down.....if I want them to "stumble" on a crime...if I want cath and warrick to go out and save someone, thus being seen and taken somewhere and then the rest of the team has to save them....OR if I just want them to all go out together...hmmm....this is where YOUR ideas would come in nicely!!!**

**REVIEW!!! And let me know what you think!!! :)**

**Also, I apologize for all the yobling fluff....but as usual...I must get a little in there... :)**


	8. Sushi and Scanners

****

Clearly I do not own CSI or any of the characters.

Alright...so I took the advice...and I'm doing BOTH!!

KyliedaRock: One of our heroes will indeed save the other

GregsLabrat: ALL of them will go out together

Thanks to all the reviewers!! (and participaters)

* * *

Catherine went against her better judgement (and her instinct to flee) by entering the room. Robert was sitting up facing the doorway with sharpened teeth bared in a snarl, his eyes glowing yellow. He looked like a sort of half-werewolf or something. For the first time since this had happened, Catherine was thankful. She _could_ look as much like a cat as Robert looked like a dog.

Warrick put his hand on Robert's shoulder to hold him steady as it was clear he wanted to attack Catherine. Warrick's eyes warned her to stay away, but she really needed to apologize.

"Robert, I...._hiss......_" This was going to be difficult. She wanted to apologize, but her mind was a bit clouded over and preoccupied with the canine in front of her.

She cleared her throat and hoped she could control herself. "I...I'm sorry. I'm sorry for hissing at you just now and I'm sorry for being so.....livid."

His snarl softened. "Well, you should be." He replied.

"I know, but I was so angry....and I had all this pent up animal rage......I.....acted more on instinct than on thinking and for that I'm sorry."

"Well, I understand the animal rage thing....._thanks to you......._and I accept your apology. However, I think it's best you leave now since I have an overwhelming desire to chase you. I'd rather not......_stoop_ to that level if I can help it." He tried to smile, but it was clear he was embarassed.

Catherine understood that and now felt even more regret. She smiled back. "I'll leave then....because I'm not really in the mood to be chased.....and besides, I'd hate to show up your little puppy-dog behind...."

"We're agreed then....." He said as she turned and left, Warrick following her.

"Well that was tense." He said when they got downstairs.

"You think?" She said sarcastically.

"No, I know, and although I don't think it was a good idea, I'm glad you apologized."

She sighed, "Me too. I really do feel bad about the whole thing.........._mostly_." She chuckled. "Especially about hissing at him...."

"Yeah, well, it was cute."

"_Warrick_. You have GOT to stop saying that purring and hissing is CUTE. I just don't see it....."

"Well you don't get to be the judge now do you? If I think that it's cute when my girlfriend gets all catty then I think it's cute. So that's the end of this discussion."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard what I said."

"No....did you say 'my girlfriend?' She asked smiling.

"Maybe....." He replied pulling her into a kiss.

* * *

"Alright everybody. I've got it. We don't wear spandex, but we do all wear the same color....black, since it's hard to see in the dark.....AND, these masks I got us." Greg said proudly that evening as the CSI's reconveyned at their makeshift headquarters (Catherine's house) for dinner and discussion. Grissom had brought sushi since he knew everyone (recent changes considered) would enjoy it.

"I don't know about the masks, Man..." Nick said slowly.

"Do you honestly want your face to end up on the front page of the newspaper Nicky?" Catherine asked.

"Well, I don't have to worry about it, since I can go invisible." He said, actually disappearing as he spoke.

"Alright, so Nick doesn't get a vote!" Warrick jumped in quickly.

"Hey?!" Nick yelled, reappearing.

"Out of sight, out of mind." Catherine backed Warrick up.

"Fine." Nick pouted.

"We don't even _need_ to vote. Everyone's on board. A little skeptical and a lot embarassed, but on board nonetheless." Sara added, figuring she might as well just go ahead and speak for all of them since she could HEAR all of them.

"Alright! So it's official then!" Greg jumped up, passing out the masks. The team inspected them as they ate and had to admit, they were pretty top-quality. There was no silly Halloween string attached, but a sticky substance that allowed it to stay on skin until being forced off.

"I really can't believe that we're going to wear these..." Sara said voicing her opinion, as she put hers on.

"Well, at least they're professional?" Nick proposed.

"Professional? What do we have to compare it to?? Comic books.....?" Warrick asked.

"Well, yeah...." Greg said sounding a bit little a little boy.

"Ok, ok, enough. We all agreed to wear them, so we're going to." Grissom replied putting an end to a nowhere conversation. "Greg? Since you've put so much thought into this, how do you propose we begin.....our.........uh........" He looked to him for help.

"Secret identities?! Double lives?! Superhero escapades?!" Greg lit up as he said each one.

"Just HOW are we going to do it!?" Catherine burst with a bit more edge in her voice than she intended.

"Tonight, when we've all had a chance for our food to digest and go get the proper...ahem, 'attire' we'll listen to Sara's police scanner. I know we can't prevent everything, but maybe on the offchance there is a hostage situation or suspicious behavior, we could take that out." He suggested.

"Why can't we just go walk around looking for something to stop?" Nick asked.

"I've thought about that too..." Greg began "And if people happen to see a group of masked men, _and two women_, just walking around, don't you think they'll be suspicious of US? However, if we build a reputation for ourselves...." He started to grin "Maybe people will call us something and then know what we do and then we can walk around looking for trouble all we want!" He finished excitedly.

The rest of them were still having some serious doubts though.

* * *

Two hours later, the nightshift CSI team was sitting in Sara's apartment listening to her police scanner.

"You guys. I cannot take all the emotion in the room right now! I know that Greg's excited like a little schoolboy right now and Grissom wants to go right some wrongs, but the rest of you? Warrick, you're not going to accidentally hurt someone, so stop worrying about it. Nick, we SEE you ok? And we listen to you, Ok? Although, maybe this insecurity you have is why you WENT invisible in the FIRST place! And, Catherine.....really?......you're worried about _what you're wearing_? You look great. Everyone thinks so........trust me, I know........especially Warrick." Sara finished officially shutting everyone's thoughts up.

Now the WHOLE team was embarassed and decided maybe they shouldn't just think.......so.........freely.

Warrick kind of spaced out for a minute as he thought about what Sara had said. Yes, he was right about thinking Catherine looked great. He couldn't keep his eyes off of her in the black jeans with high-heeled boots and lower-cut black top. Not to mention the mask...something about it......accentuated her eyes and whole face really. It was hot, basically. He shook his head and made himself think about the OTHER thing Sara had said.....about maybe Nick going invisible because he FELT that way.

"Uh....do you think our personalities had to do with our changes?" He asked.

"What do you mean Warrick?" Greg asked.

"Well, Nick is invisible and he always feels invisible, right?"

"Basically, yeah." Nick admitted.

"And me....I always felt like I wasn't strong enough to deal with life.....always had this insecurity that I wasn't........_man enough._"

"And Greg..." Sara joined in. "Greg is always just bouncing around off the walls with energy...so now, he can actually fly around........." She turned to face Grissom. "And YOU. You never have enough time for anything you need to do. You're always thinking that you're wasting valuable time by transitioning into things....so, pop! You can snap your fingers and no transition....no walking, no driving, no flying....just....there."

"Well, Sara? You always wanted to read people's thoughts?" Catherine asked.

"No, it wasn't that really. I just have always been a bad judge of character. I tend to think wrong alot about what other's are thinking......" She paused, thinking to a few years prior when she and Grissom kept "missing" each other's affections. "...and feeling. So, amidst all the craziness of it, it's been kind of nice in a way." She finished up.

"And even Catherine." Grissom said. "I know you're different, but still. Catherine....._Cat_. We all call you that sometimes, much to your disdain of course......but maybe your personality kind of helped the feline DNA thing along."

"And no offense, Catherine....but you've always actually been kind of........cat-like anyway." Greg said quickly, closing his eyes hoping to avoid a verbal bashing.

"What?!" She stood up quickly.....then sat back down slowly. "No......I think maybe your right. I've always been kind of......"

"Aggressive......instinctual.....in-your-face........" The rest of the team all said at the same time way too quickly for her taste, but still....they WERE right.

She opened her mouth to respond with something..........well, _anything_, but a name on the scanner grabbed everyone's attention first.

_Sam Braun_.

* * *

**Duh, duh, duh!!!! (big dramatic music) Alright, ok, so I LIKE Sam Braun.......and I have no idea why he's dead....ALTHOUGH, I DID see that a plotline this season is supposed to be about a dead casino owner who knew Sam....so maybe an old Vegas/Catherine centric eppy? crossed fingers.....**

**Anyway, review!!! **


	9. Their First Gig

**Clearly I do not own CSI or any of the characters.**

**

* * *

**

The CSI's made their way down the backside of the strip. As the six of them walked with purpose shoulder to shoulder, they gave off an air reminescent of an old western movie, where the good guy sets out to meet the outlaw.

Although Sara could testify that there was still some apprehension about what they were going to do (as well as the masks), there was no question as to their _doing_ it. They'd heard on the scanner that some disgruntled employees had taken Sam Braun and numerous other employees and gamblers hostage, and it only took mere seconds for the team to mobilize.

They'd been "given" their abilities by less than honest and ideal means, but they were theirs now, just like the responsibility to use them.

* * *

"Cat...I mean, Catherine, you know the Tangiers better than any of us. Where do you suggest.....?" Grissom asked.

"Not with you popping in and scaring the living daylights out of the gunmen so they start shooting people, that's for sure." She was quick to answer.

"So what do you suggest then?" Grissom asked again, hoping for a more concrete answer.

"They'll be expecting people to come in from the ground or underground levels....." She thought outloud. "But not....." She looked up. "Not from the top down......"

"I like it!" Greg smiled already hovering a few inches above the pavement.

"Yeah, well you and Snappyman and Catwoman just go ahead and do your......flying...popping.....climbing...._things_.....but what about the rest of us?" Nick questioned.

"Nicky.." Catherine took a deep breath. "If you really want to play the name game with me....I can play right back....._Invisa-boy...."_ She said particularly pronouncing the last part.

"I don't know what the big deal is....so I called you Catwoman...I really..."

"Well, maybe I don't like it...maybe..."

"Truthfully, I'd rather not be known as "snappyman" either...so I can kind of vouch for Catherine on this......

"STOP!" Sara yelled over Grissom, Catherine and Nick. "If you guys want to stand out here and argue over nicknames....then be my guest...but there IS a hostage situation inside......one that involves your _father_ I believe, Catherine......."

"She's right guys. Let's just get our gameplan and do this." Warrick added.

There was a general murmering of agreeance followed by a moment or two of silence as each person reviewed the problem at hand. Greg, Grissom and Catherine DID have the abilities to get to the top of the casino and work their way down, but that still left three very capable, very needed CSI's on the ground.

"I've got it." Grissom finally said. "Greg, Catherine and I will work our way down. Nick? Just go invisible and walk through one of the main entrances and wait for us by the elevators. Warrick, I think it's best if you just wait until you hear all hell break loose to come on in and back us up, we're definitely going to need your strength. And Sara....I hate to say this, but I think you should just wait...."

"I'm NOT waiting out here while the rest of you go in there and take action. I may not have super strength or force fields or....claws.....but I can mess with people's heads." Sara said.

"Go on..." Grissom prodded.

"Why don't I fall in behind Warrick and then start working on confusing the people that need confusing......" She offered.

"I like it, let's go." Greg decided for everyone and they headed off in their separate directions.

Sara and Warrick waited about half a block away, Nick was no longer visible and headed toward the main entrance, and Greg, Grissom and Catherine made their way to the rooftop, Catherine being the last there.

"Whew....climbing a building is hard work." She said out of breath to a seated Greg and Grissom, both of whom had obviously been waiting a few minutes. "Don't look at me like that. I made it, didn't I? Even if it did take me longer than Flyboy and Snappyman."

"Catherine..." Grissom warned. "Unless you plan on being known as Catwoman henceforth, I suggest you forget you ever used those names...."

"You know I'm just kidding Gil, goodness." She said laughing as the three of them attempted to open the locked rooftop entry.

"Grissom? Forcefield?" Greg suggested as he and Catherine stepped back. One quick flash of his hands and the door was blasted down.

They carefully and quickly made their way downstairs to the main elevator corridor to meet Nick, who'd been waiting for a few minutes.

"Alright y'all. I got a good look at the situation. There are actually about ten men in there with guns, three of them just on Sam." He said needlessly averting eye contact with Catherine, she couldn't see him afterall, but he didn't want to see her worry about her father.

"Ok, so...." she began.

"So you and Grissom and Warrick once he gets in here are best suited for taking down the gunmen, so if you guys concentrate on that while Sara causes some extra confusion, then Nick and I can start getting people out of here." Greg suggested.

"Works for me." Nick agreed.

"Alright, then. On three?"

"On three." The rest repeated definitively.

* * *

Warrick and Sara waited patiently outside for noise of a struggle. Just when they were about ready to worry about it taking so long, they heard yelling from the inside.

"Ready?" Sara asked Warrick needlessly as he was already heading in the direction of the door. They peered inside for a moment to assess the situation before making their move.

Grissom was blasting either men or guns down one at a time while occasionally popping over in front of a hostage to shield them from gunfire.

Nick, invisible of course, was gently leading hostages one by one out of the main casino into the elevator corridor where they could follow the hallways from there to the fire exits.

Greg was all over the place. One minute he was helping Nick corral people out as quickly as possible, the next minute he would fly by one of the men, grabbing a gun in the process. They were so stunned to see someone flying that it was like taking candy from a baby.

Catherine was engaged in some pretty hardcore fighting. She was simultaneously fighting two of the "bad guys" who thankfully no longer had guns. Even with all her kicking and punching and clawing it was clear she was getting in over her head.

At that moment, Warrick and Sara entered, Sara crouching down behind a slot machine, closing her eyes, and focusing on shooting serious thoughts of doubt and confusion towards as many of the men as possible. Evidently it was working, at least in a few, as the man Grissom had just shot down with a force field had gotten up and was now stumbling towards the door. One of the men Catherine was fighting acted in a similar way, at least long enough for her to kick him in the chest, sending him flying.

Warrick immediately made his way to where Catherine was as he realized Greg and Nick had gotten everyone out safely----except for Sam. Grissom seemed to be handling himself just fine against two remaining adversaries. Four of them were out cold on the floor, so that only left the three holding Sam (who were now making their way to the exit) and the one Catherine was fighting.

As Warrick diverted from his path to Catherine to step in front of the men who had Sam, one of them pulled out a handgun and shot him in the stomach before he knew what hit him. Grissom, Catherine and Sara all turned to see Warrick hit the ground. Grissom managed to knock the two guys out with one final blast as he joined Sara by Warrick's side. As Catherine turned to see, her opponent got a good punch to her face, knocking her to the floor. He then picked her up, slinging her over his shoulder and headed to join his partners at the exit.

Grissom, seeing what was happening, immediately raised his palms to strike the men down, but the one holding Catherine quickly stopped that.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." He said as he held a knife to Catherine's throat.

Grissom lowered his hands, not knowing what else to do. Fortunately, he didn't have to figure it out as Catherine, who had apparently regained consciousness, dug her claws into the man holding her as hard as she could. He screamed and dropped her.....on her feet of course.

"Screw this!" He yelled. "Just kill the old man...!!" He looked at the other three, clearly fed up with the whole thing.

"NO!" Catherine yelled and slowly approached them, turned towards Grissom and Sara, giving them a look that seemed to say, "I know what I'm doing."

"Killing him won't make you feel better. He won't suffer if you kill him. You do want him to suffer, right?" She said cautiously making her way closer.

They tightened their grip on Sam, who grunted at the squeeze. _Who ARE these people?_ Sam thought especially looking at the woman in front of them with piercing blue slitted eyes. He knew those eyes......

"What do you propose we do then?" One of them asked her, getting a good look at her eyes and being taken back by them.

"Let him go." She calmly suggested.

"Let him go? Who do you think you are lady?!" Another one spit at her.

"Well, my colleagues here seem to think Catwoman...but I heartily disagree." She chuckled, sending a shiver of remembrance down Sam's spine.

"Mugs?" He asked weakly.

"Mugs? What the..." The one Catherine had clawed looked at her and then at the way Sam was looking at her and knew.

"Your.....your his daughter?" He asked. "Oh, this is too good. Hey guys...maybe we should let him go and take her instead. That way, he _will _suffer."

Grissom still applying pressure to Warrick's gunshot wound started to get back up at this but Catherine waved her hand at them to stay back.

"I think that is an option." Catherine said. "You let him go and I'll come with you."

"Not a chance! We tie you up and THEN we let him go."

Catherine thought about it for a second. There was no way they wouldn't kill Sam once they drug him off somewhere. But she...she would be leverage to get what they wanted...money probably....but most likely revenge. She was a big girl, though, and had no doubt that she could get herself out of this, and if not, she knew the team would come get her.

"You have a deal." She said solemnly as one of them immediately hit her over the head, her body crumpling to the ground.

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**Review! I know that was long...feels good to get a long one out! Alright guys...what do you think?? Do you think they let Sam go...or do you think they took both of them? Hmmm....I haven't decided yet.**

**Review please! AND go finish YOUR superhero stories...I'm tentatively setting an END date to be the end of March, but PM me if you need more time...of course that will be ok.**

**REVIEW!! Have a happy Monday...**


	10. What Happened?

**Clearly I do not own CSI or any of the characters.**

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Catherine woke to a pounding in her head. She tried to touch the source of the throbbing but found her hands bound together behind her. She tugged on the binding and finding it secure, attempted to lengthen her claws in an effort to begin slicing through the cords. She felt the tendons push the claws out only to feel them stop mid-way when they hit something.

Gloves. Leather gloves. _Of course._ She thought. She would have put leather gloves on her too had she been mangled the way the tall, bulky one had been.

Despite her current situation as a hostage and the pain in her head, she stifled a laugh as she remembered the look on his face right before he dropped her.

"I hear we're awake." A deep voice said from the dark doorway.

* * *

"What happened?" A dazed but seemingly fine Warrick asked as he found himself on Grissom's couch, the team, minus Catherine, standing over him.

"The short version?" Sara began. "You were shot, but apparently you can heal yourself as your fine now, Catherine used herself as a bargaining chip in order to ensure Sam's release, and they drug her off somewhere."

"Where were the rest of you?" He asked, fear and anger rising inside him.

"I was trying to keep you from bleeding to death, Sara's really not much in the fighting department, no offense, Sar, and Nick and Greg were still making sure everyone got out ok. They knocked her unconscious, threw Sam on the ground and had guns on me and Sara before we knew it. Maybe I should have tried, but I was afraid if I attempted to knock them down that one of them might go off, hitting Catherine." Grissom said obviously exasperated.

Warrick sighed and sat up. He knew Catherine could take care of herself, but still.

"So what are we going to do about it?" He asked his teammates.

"Let's just say we've got a plan." Greg said smugly.

* * *

Catherine really had no patience for whatever game the man in the doorway was playing. She assumed he was trying to scare her by being all mysterious and staying in the dark. Did they know _nothing_ about cats? She could see exponentially better than everyone else and clear as a bell in darkness.

"Yes I'm awake. I was just thinking about how much those punctures on your legs must be hurting you right now." She threw out across the room.

He began to walk a little closer and she noticed that he wasn't limping. _But how can that be?_ She thought.

"It's been taken care of...." He said as he continued to approach her. When he was standing right in front of her he caressed her cheek with the back of his hand and she felt rolling nausea come over her, and then, pure aggression.

She tried to move the chair backwards, but only ended up knocking it over and falling on her back for the first time since drinking that water. He crouched down to where she was overloaded by his smell. A sickly sweet scent of crazy, attraction and everything else in between rolling off of him. It was all she could do to not throw up right there.

"You know.....you're much to pretty to be one of the good guys." He whispered trying to touch her face again. This time she hissed and was able to bite into him.

He pulled back and slapped her as soon as he freed his hand. He then grabbed her cheeks in between his other hand, squeezing her face together and looking right into her eyes.

"You WILL play nice, _Kitty Kat, _or we're going to take some pliers and pull each one of those little claws of yours right out of your hands............._after _we kill your father and the rest of your friends in front of you."

Catherine closed her eyes, took a deep breath and reminded herself of the unlikeliness that his threat would actually come true.

"Just how do you expect to do that? Weren't you AT the Tangiers? I'm not the only one who's......above average." She gritted through her teeth.

He smiled. "You know.....it's a funny thing about water. I never really liked it until now............." He said, pulling a pocket knife out and slicing deep into his palm, Catherine watching as the skin closed itself back up instantly.

"But....." She began, fear growing in her stomach as realization hit her. She started to thrash about on the floor in vain, trying to break the cords or at least get the gloves to come off. He just laughed at her as she struggled, knowing the cords weren't going to break.

Catherine tried to free herself for what felt like an eternity before she suddenly stopped as her ears picked up the sound of someone else nearing the room. Her heart skipped a beat at the thought of Warrick or Grissom or any of them being here, finding her.

Her hopes were dashed though as soon as she caught a whiff of the person's scent.

She knew them alright.

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**ReViEw!!!! I know this is short...but it's all I can think of at the moment....REVIEW!!!!!!**


	11. The Man At The Door

**Clearly I do not own CSI or any of the characters.**

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"I still can't believe I was shot!" Warrick was saying as the team was finishing up a meal before attempting to rescue Catherine.

"Yeah, well I can't believe you haven't noticed until now that you can heal yourself..." Greg said and everyone laughed for a moment before remembering that one of their own was in danger. They hadn't even wanted to stop and eat, but Grissom reminded them they wouldn't be much use without any energy.

"Well, I haven't gotten hurt until now to know." Warrick responded trying not to think of the possibility that Catherine might be hurt. His face visibly softened and fell to the point that everyone besides Sara (who already knew) saw how worried he was about Catherine.

"Warrick. Don't worry." Sara gently put her hand on his arm. "We've got a plan, we've got at least a little experience under our belts now and it's not like those men are anything special. Once we _find_ them, we'll get her out of there in no time."

* * *

"Help her up Mark." The voice in the doorway said.

"But she was trying to get loose..." The man whose name Catherine now knew whinned.

"Wouldn't you?" He asked and turning the lights on, walked towards them both.

Mark had sat her chair right side up again to where she could see what her nose had already told her.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" She said forcefully.

"Now, now, Catherine. Mark's already told you to play nice I believe....and what will happen if you don't."

"I'd like to see you try." She replied, glaring.

"Really no point to this tough act. You and I both know you're scared....." He got right up in her face and sniffed. "I can smell it."

She began to struggle again to no avail and he held her down to keep her from toppling over.

"I can't believe I _apologized_ to you. After what you did to us, I honestly should have ripped your throat out!" She yelled getting louder with each word.

"You're losing control, Catherine.......and that's good. I've realized in the past day that the more I give in to my animal side, the stronger I am, and if we're going to work together, I don't want you to be some weak-willed kitten."

"What the hell are you talking about?! I don't even know why you're here!" She screamed, rage building inside her, instincts telling her to fight or flee, her brain not making the connection between the man who, last she checked, was still at her house, and the men who tried to kill her father.

"Oh I'm sorry, I haven't explained myself yet." He said, pulling another chair up and sitting down, facing her, trying to ignore his own instincts to fight. She'd be no good to them dead.

"After you all left to go to Sara's last night, I followed you. I wanted to see if you were going to DO anything with your abilities. I followed you all the way to the Tangiers and watched from a distance what was going on. People stared at me and pointed. They looked at me like I was a freak, thanks to YOU......and I got angry again. Far more angry than I'd been initially. The lot of you was so ungrateful for what I'd given you. Even now, I know all of you would go back if you could. And this...." He pointed to himself "This.....change that I've suffered at the hands of you was never part of my genetic modification program. I never intended to take people's lives away from them......but you....you knew exactly what it would do to me."

"Your point being?" She hissed.

"Let me finish!" He growled. "When I saw those men coming out of the casino, with you obviously a taken prisoner, something inside me snapped. I wanted to kill you for what you'd done to me and the only reason I didn't was because I realized that I....unintentionally of course, did the same thing to you. Neither of us can go back the way the others can. We can't always wear sunglasses to hide our true nature......even the way we move is.....inhuman."

"I'm sorry you look more animal than me, but I fully intend to keep living my life, thank you very much."

"But your job? As a CSI? Catherine......have you seen the way you move.....handle yourself? You're jerky and quick-moving and your head moves constantly to pick up little sounds around you.....I've seen you zone out to watch dangling or sparkly objects, you hiss at everyone who makes you mad or threatens you, and the other night in your living room, you kept swatting at a piece of thread that was loose on your sleeve."

"Some of us have more control than.....ahem, others....and you're not going to convince me to quit my job or join you in whatever endeavors you have going on here with the men who tried to kill my father, just because I'm a little on the catty side sometimes."

"A little?! All of those things I just described are instinctual.......you can't keep yourself from doing ANY of them." Robert replied.

Catherine took a deep breath of frustration. "Are you here to annoy me? Do you actually have a point for this conversation other than trying to make me feel bad?"

"The point is......whether you realize or want to accept it or not, we are "visibly" different than everyone else. So, in that moment, knowing you all resented me, knowing that people would be afraid of me now....I made a decision........to GIVE them something to be afraid of........."

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**Ok, so I know that was pretty short...but I wanted to go ahead and get an update in before the weekend was over. We'll see what I can do for Ex Malo Bonum as well......I'm still debating whether to end it, or have one more "round" of problems/action....**

**REVIEW!! AND.....go update YOUR stories...please!!! (I'm being whiny, I know...:)**


	12. Torture

**Clearly I do not own CSI or any of the characters.**

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"So you're just going to be a bad guy now?" Catherine asked.

"Basically, yes. I caught up with the men who were after your father and told them I could help them beat the "unnatural" people they'd just come up against. They were a little freaked out by me at first, but when I promised them abilities......well......"

"But you said that's why you gave US the water...you wanted to test it out on trustworthy people! I have no idea what's going on in your head....you're a walking contradiciton."

"Again...that was before I became an outcast of society.......I realize now just how much power and....well, money I can get with the group of men I've got going here......."

"And your going to start with my father? Is that it?"

"Well, it doesn't have to be.......YOU offered yourself as a bargain for your father's release.......and so me joining up with them had nothing to do with the other."

"So then let me go!" She yelled.

"You know....Catherine.....I could....I could.....but really, a woman of your....talents.....could be of such use around here.....and besides......like I said earlier......you're almost as much of a social misfit as I am now.......what other choice do you have?"

"There's always a choice, Robert.....and let's just say I CAN'T go back to being a CSI.....well......then I'll work with my team after-hours cleaning up what they couldn't the first time around."

"And you really think people will accept you as some kind of hero? The others, perhaps......but you're far too much like me......the new.....villain in town I guess you could say......they'll associate you more with me and what I do......."

"People aren't stupid....and they can think what they want....it doesn't change the truth......"

"Just consider it Catherine......working with me......."

"I will....NEVER....WORK....WITH.....YOU....you piece of garbage!" She yelled and spit in his face.

He backhanded her across the face and pulled a pair of pliers out of his back pocket.

"We'll see about that......." He said, removing one of the gloves from her hands as he motioned for one of the guys to come in and help him hold her down. She was struggling pretty fiercely, but between the guy's newly acquired strength and Robert's canine strength, they were able to hold her down as Robert grabbed her pinky finger on her left hand. He squeezed the tip until a claw protruded and then gripped it at the base with the pliers, quickly and forcefully twisting and pulling until he completely removed it.

Catherine tried not to scream, but the pain was, quite frankly, unbearable and as soon as the deed was done and her finger throbbed with excruciating pain, she began to cry.

"Go get a bandage and some disinfectant Mark..." Robert ordered coldly.

He stared at her as she cried. "Such a shame my dear, such a shame. I really don't like seeing people in pain.....and I'd hate to do that again 9 more times..so.....just go ahead and say you'll work with us. None of the men in there developed abilities as good as yours.....we need you......"

Catherine sniffed and looked over at him. "I don't think you need me at all.....I think I make you feel less alone.......like less of a freak.......but the thing is......" She actually smiled, "You ARE one.......and it has nothing to do with your mutated DNA or ability.....it's just plain old you...."

Robert stood there as an involuntary growl began to grow within his chest. She was infuriating him on so many levels it had become primal. It was all he could do to not rip her throat out right then and there......but really.....weren't there worse things than death? Like uselessly sitting by while your father is murdered?

He continued to growl as he pulled the pliers out again and took hold of her ring finger.

* * *

"Do you love her man?" Nick asked Warrick as the team headed to Sara's SUV.

Warrick blushed a little but just stayed silent.

"I'll take that as a 'your not ready to talk about it' kind of answer." He said.

"Thanks....I really just want to get her back right now is all." Warrick said semi-changing the subject. Even though it didn't take a telepath to know that he did, indeed, love Catherine Willows, Sara knew for certain.

_I wonder how Grissom feels about me?_ She wondered, immediately realizing that she might have thought it too strongly. All her really strong thoughts seemed to project into different people's minds. Hopefully, that one did NOT go into Grissom's. She got her answer rather quickly.

_Like Warrick feels about Catherine. _She heard Grissom silently answer her back. She didn't have the confidence to look at him as she turned the key in the ignition, but a soft touch on her arm confirmed what she had heard.

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_Where are they?_ Catherine silently pleaded to herself after she'd been left alone, in pain and bleeding.

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**REVIEW!!! GSR was put in by request..... :)**


	13. Extra Dose of Angst

**I don't own anything....**

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Catherine really couldn't believe that Robert had lost it as much as he apparently had, mostly though, she wondered where her team was and what was taking them so long. Had she JUST been taken by the original men (minus abilities) she could have easily gotten herself out of this mess. Really, though, now.....especially after what they had done to her......there was no way out without help.

They had untied her and left her on the cold, hard floor without so much as a blanket. She hadn't eaten since the sushi Grissom had brought and now that so many hours had passed she was growing weaker by the minute. It didn't help matters any that she'd lost a surprisingly large amount of blood through the ends of her fingers and they were starting to look infected. Bandages and disinfectant had never come.

She'd fought the urge to lick her wounds reasoning with herself that whatever antimicrobial properties feline saliva had in it were probably far outnumbered by all the bacteria from her human saliva if Greg's DNA profile had indeed been correct. It would most likely only make matters worse.

She had positioned herself in the corner of the room, trying her best to keep her wounds from reopening..........and to forget about the fact that Warrick was probably dead, the team didn't know where she was, and her father was a target again.

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"Ok...so, somebody explain to me just how we're going to find Catherine?" Greg asked.

"Well, we've already had the police search the homes of the employees who came after Sam....to no avail....so, right now we wait. The police are checking into any other possible locations the suspects may have had ties or access to and they'll let us know when they get something." Grissom answered calmly.

"I don't think that's good enough Griss.....I hate to sound like Greg here, but we're kind of in the superhero league now......why are we just sitting around waiting for the police?" Nick asked.

"Because we don't know where she is....what are we supposed to do...imagine where she might be and just head over there....I......." Sara suddenly stopped.

"Sar?" Greg asked.

"Just a second.....I.....I have an idea.....but I need you all to be very very quiet.........that includes your thoughts as best you can as well...." She said, pulling over into a parking lot and putting the suv in park. She closed her eyes and leaned her head against the rest for several minutes. None of the men dared to say anything but they were awfully curious.

Suddenly, she opened her eyes and smiled.

"I've got it."

"What?" Warrick asked.

"I don't have an exact location....but.....when I thought hard enough about Catherine, I was able to see where she is.......I think....maybe if I describe it we can figure it out?" Sara suggested turning to Grissom.

"Is she ok?" Warrick wanted to know.

Sara took a deep breath. "Warrick....I couldn't tell. She's alive, but she looked bad. She was bloody and curled up in a ball in a dark room. We need to work fast."

"Start describing." Grissom ordered.

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Catherine was pulled out of a deep sleep by the sound of a door slamming and footsteps coming towards her. She was too weak to sit up, but could smell that it wasn't Robert. It was that Mark.

"Breakfast...." He said heartlessly, throwing a couple of cans on the ground where she lay.

She glanced over and saw that it was actually canned cat food.

"You've got to be kidding me..." She said breathlessly, trying to sit up.

"The boss says that, despite the fact that you've lost some of your best fighting assets, we shouldn't give up on you joining us....and he already told you he wanted you to 'give in' to your other side.....I figure this is his way of helping you along with that." He said, laughing and walking away.

Catherine just glared at him, thinking about what she'd like to do...and what she would do if she had the energy and chance.

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The team had narrowed down possible locations from Sara's description of what sounded like a warehouse. They were originally going to split up into two's to cover more ground faster but ended up staying together after Greg's reminder of what happens to people who "split up" in horror movies.

The first place they went to had a lot of bats flying around, but nothing else.

The next one was full of something.....but it turned out to be a drug cartel's stashing place. A few of the drug dealer's were there but all it took was a blast or two from Grissom and a couple of punches from Warrick to knock them out cold until the police could arrive. Nick had called them anonymously. That was one thing they'd all agreed on from the beginning. That their lives as CSI's and their lives as well....whatever you wanted to call it really, would be kept separate.

No one would know and no one _could_ know.

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For the first time Catherine was actually worrying about herself. As she watched Mark walk away and slam the door behind him she realized that she had just been cornered and not hissed. She hadn't even made an effort to move away or lash out.....and she wasn't even restrained anymore.

As her body started to shake from the cold, hunger, and injuries she reached for the food in front of her. Pulling the tab back to remove the lid was torture all over again as she had to use her fingers and they started bleeding again. She ate all of it ravenously though and although she would never admit it to anyone.....ever, it completely hit the spot.....texture and taste both. In fact, her mind was briefly taken off the pain as she enjoyed it so much and even found herself reading the label so she could remember to.....

_Stop it._ She scolded herself. If for dignities sake alone, she would be just fine in the future with lots of fish and milk.......even _if _it made Sara sick. Warrick hadn't seemed to mind and he was the one she really cared about.

Warrick.

She'd seen him get shot in the chest and Grissom applying pressure. She'd wanted to do something---to help, but they'd grabbed her and then she had to do what she could to get Sam out of harm's way. After that, she'd been knocked unconscious and had no idea happened to him. She knew he was strong...but.....a gunshot to the chest like that.......

With at least some of her shaking stopped and her stomach full, she leaned herself back up against the wall but was still alone with her thoughts.

She must have fallen asleep again or lost consciousness because there were flashes of light and images and sounds. Warrick being shot over and over, imagining her father suffereing the same fate, the feelings of murderous rage towards Robert..........and her eyes.......the way they'd _looked before._

Catherine Willows felt as if she was losing her mind there in the darkness.

"Maybe I am." She whispered outloud to no one.

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**Ok...so that was maybe a little jumpy...but I wanted lots of short snippets back and forth of what was going on with each....over a period of a few hours......the team's frustrations at not finding her...and her continuing deterioration...both physically and emotionally.....wow...when did this get all serious?? I guess I'm just feeling extra angsty due to out of whack hormones and maybe even the fight that broke out between some of my students today....hmmm.....overshare? apology extended...**

**REVIEW!! And of course...go update yours! :) Please... :)**


	14. Why Can't I Save Catherine Again?

**I don't own anything....**

**A/N: i KNOW I haven't updated! Block and sinus headaches galore! Also, this is REALLY short...but an update nonetheless. Enjoy!**

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The team, sans Catherine, was long gone from the drug bust before the police could arrive.

Piled back into Sara's SUV, they headed to the only other warehouse that matched the description of what Sara had seen.

No one spoke, but everyone worried.

They'd wasted valuable time roaming around the city in search of Catherine's location.

They knew she was injured and had been for sometime.

So, over 48 hours after the events at the casino, they put all their hopes into Sara's 'vision' and this final search.

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Catherine had been in and out of consciousness since she'd eaten. How long had it been exactly? She didn't know.

She did know one thing, though. Despite having eaten, she was not doing well. Maybe it was the blood loss and infection or maybe it was the fact that, as time wore on, she increasingly felt more instinctual, more animal, and less like herself.

Most likely it was both.

What she didn't know was that Robert had dosed what little food and water she'd been given with 'the water' hoping to somehow further her mutation. It wasn't working, however, but he had no way of knowing that from observing her. Over the past day, everytime someone went in there to take her food, she was more and more jumpy--like a tortured animal in a cage. Curled up in the corner, shaking, eyes wilder than usual, she did seem to have lost a bit more humanity. He figured he'd give her another day or so to 'think about it' and then, if she still said no?

He'd kill her father and lure her friends in and pick them off one by one.

If she still refused?

Well, he'd always wanted to know if cats really did have nine lives.

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"This is it you guys." Sara said as the drove past the warehouse once before parking a safe distance away. "I'm sure of it."

"Let's hope so." Greg said tensely as they waited for Sara to park.

"Alright, so we've already gone over this, but once more from the top?" Grissom suggested.

"I'll sneak in and scope things out, try to get a feel for who's inside and any security they may have." Nick replied.

"I be moving around the outside trying to pick up anyone's thoughts and hopefully come up with something we can use." Sara had said.

"I'll go in first, block out as many people as I can and then..." Grissom started.

"Greg and I will get Catherine out of there after Nick finds out where she is." Warrick finished.

"Wait. Why can't I just get her again?" Nick asked.

"Because....Warrick's the strong one and most likely Catherine is incapacitated. It just makes sense for him to get her. Besides, I need you helping me clear the way for them." Greg answered his question.

"Ready?" Sara looked at everyone.

They all silently nodded and headed for the back of the warehouse.

"Wait!" Greg whispered as loudly as he could.

"What?!" A few of them asked back.

"Your masks. Put them on!" He said in all seriousness.

They all inwardly groaned, but put them on, having a much needed laugh at Greg's boyish enthusiasm.

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**Alright alright..I know it WAS really short....but I needed a set up chapter for the ACTION chapter! YAY!! REVIEW!!! And, as always, go get to work on yours! I realize this is the pot calling the kettle black....but I miss them.. :(**


	15. Rescue

**I don't own anything....**

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Nick disappeared from in front of them before they'd gone even five feet from where they'd parked.

"You guys wait for me and Sara before you make any moves, ok?" He whispered from somewhere in front of them.

"Yeah, just wait here for a few minutes." Sara reiterated and took off slowly towards Nick's voice.

They walked together for a few minutes before Sara felt him gently touch her arm to let her know he was going in a different direction.

_Thanks for letting me know Nick, but I kind of already did...remember? _She telepathically told him.

_Right, I'm still getting used to all this I guess. Be careful, Sar._ He told her back.

Sara crept alongside the back of the building, touching the sides of the walls as she went. She had found that if she touched someone or something she could get a better and stronger reading of whatever thoughts or feelings were going on with it. Thankful she was in black and that it was dark, she was still quite scared and had to push her own feelings down so they wouldn't interfere with what she was trying to pick up.

Initially, she didn't hear anything, but as she continued around the back of the wall, she began to feel something. Frustration, anger.....from some men she thought. Also, there was a sense of clear, piercing fear........from Catherine. Sara hated to feel her friend in pain, but was grateful to feel anything to tell her she was still alive.

Then, just when she thought she wasn't going to get lucky, she began to pick up a conversation between two people.

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Nick had an easier time getting inside than he thought. The building was so old and drafty that the front door was actually partially open, so he just slipped himself inside. The guard at the front looked up when he heard it creak, but seeing nothing, just got up and shut it, immediately going back to his crossword puzzle. Nick continued to slip past, walking down a long corridor until he came to several rooms on either side. The door was cracked in one of them just enough to hear two people talking.....but not enough to know what they were saying. One of them actually sounded kind of familiar.....but nothing he could place a finger on exactly. He turned and continued his search for Catherine, surprised at just how many hallways this old warehouse had, and also just how many men seemed to be around guarding it. Finally, when he didn't think he was going to find her, he came to one last room on the left in the fourth hallway he'd come to. Leaning up against it, he tried to hear something, but didn't make any sounds out. Even so, he'd checked all the others, causing a bit of suspicion among some of the guards, but nothing to really alarm them, since...there was "no one" there. Nick looked around to make sure that the two guards at this door weren't paying much attention and slowly cracked open the door.

It was pitch dark inside, but once his eyes adjusted he could see someone lying in the corner.

"Catherine?" He whispered.

There was no answer.

He continued towards her until, at about three feet away, he could see it was definitely Catherine.

He knealt down and softly touched her arm. "Catherine?" He whispered again.

Still no answer. She was warm, despite her shivering, so Nick took her jacket off and laid it over her, easing a bit of her shivers. There was no way he could get her out of here right now by himself with all the guards and her as weak as she obviously was, although Nick seriously considered it for about five minutes.

No, he reminded himself. They had a plan....and he needed to stick to it.

"We'll be back Cath....ok? I promise." He whispered to her again and forced himself to leave her alone once more.

* * *

"So?" Greg asked as he saw Sara headed towards them and Nick reappear.

"I found her, but she's in bad shape. Shivering, fever, wasn't responding to me at all, guys...and there are quite a few guards......if there hadn't been, I don't know what would have kept me from carrying her out of there just now." Nick said, looking to Sara for her news.

"Um, mine's not any better. Robert.....your buddy Griss....is heading up this whole thing. He's livid over what Catherine did to him and bound and determined to "be a bad guy."

The team all tried to ask questions at once.

"I'm not finished." Sara said. "The best part is this....all those men who were at the casino.....plus a few more they've recruited......he's give them ALL the water. So they ALL have abilities too."

"Great.....wonderful..." Several of them mumbled.

"Anything else we need to know Sara?" Grissom asked.

"Robert...he's furious at Catherine....but at the same time...he wants her to 'join' him in his....quest to being a villain or something....I"m not really sure. I think it has something to do with them both having physically obvious changes and abilities and her being so strong. She obviously said no, and they tortured her some, hoping she'll agree at some point. Oh, and their plan if she doesn't....?? To lure us here and kill us in front of her until she agrees......."

"Well, I hope they're in for a surprise......" Greg said smiling despite the circumstances.

"Greg, I really do love how you find humor in everything." Sara told him.

"Just irony right now Sar....just irony." He replied.

"Well, either way, let's go." Warrick said, impatient to get to Catherine.

"Lead the way." Grissom replied.

* * *

They were all in position. Sara was holding back in case she was needed, Nick had disappeared and already gone inside and Warrick, Grissom and Greg were waiting for NIck's ok that he'd taken out the first guard.

"Clear." They heard him whisper a few minutes after he'd gone inside.

Grissom and the others headed in and began to follow Nick down the winding corridors. There were a few moments of successful silence and then.....all hell broke loose. There was a sudden shouting from down one end of the hallway. Probably after they'd radioed the main security guy at the front and he hadn't answered. Two men came towards them, one shooting fire and the other shooting ice out of their palms.

Grissom put up a force field to block them both. Obviously, they weren't expecting people with abilities, so the two men were stunned for just long enough for Grissom to blast them down while Nick started to tie them up.

"Guys, go ahead, we'll catch up when we're done here." Grissom told Warrick and Greg, who were already halfway gone.

They went cautiously, glad that Nick had told them how to get to Catherine. They somehow managed to make it to the hallway where she was being held before they were both struck with a bolt of electricity, throwing them to the ground. Turning around, they saw one of the men who'd been at the casino holding both his hands out, his palms flicking with electricity.

Warrick was the first one up, since he could heal himself, but was blasted down again right away. Greg groaned, rolled over and tried to lift himself but was also zapped once again. The man was just about ready to take the out completely when Warrick and Greg heard a loud thump and saw the man slump to the floor, Sara behind him with a baseball bat, smiling.

"You big, strong, flying guys ok?" She chuckled as the were finally able to raise themselves up.

"Thanks Sara...we really owe you one." Warrick said.

"Yeah, well....I may only be able to read thoughts...but I can still wield a pretty mean baseball bat if I need to.....now go get Catherine, I'm going to go help Grissom and Nick hold the rest off so you guys can get out of here." She said, turning back the other way.

Warrick and Greg slowly forced the door to Catherine's holding room open, both a little scared at what they would find. The room was dark and empty except for a woman's form in the far corner, curled up on her side.

"Dude, you go get her. I'll watch the door." Greg whispered to Warrick in the darkness.

"Alright...." Warrick replied, headed for Catherine.

When he got to her he could see she was not ok. She was shaking and sweaty and had blood all over her hands and arms.

"Catherine. Cath....come on...wake up....it's me." He prodded. She moaned and shifted a little but didn't open her eyes.

"Catherine Willows, I need you to get up right now. We need to get out of here. Come on, babe.....wake up." He pleaded again.

She slowly opened her eyes and looked at him, the slits of her pupils especially slitted making her appear more feral and afraid.

"Warrick?" She whispered.

"Yeah, it's me. Can you sit up for me?" He asked.

"But you were shot....I saw you.....I...I thought you were dead." She began to cry.

"Shhh...I'm fine......apparently I can heal myself......so I did. I'm here now......it's ok......" He said pulling her towards him but stopping when she winced in pain.

"What hurts?" He asked, taking her hands in his.

She hissed and pulled them away quickly.

"I'm sorry......I.......they.......I wouldn't work with him, so....." She began.

Warrick held out his hands silently asking her to trust him. She slowly laid them back down into his so he could examine them. He saw the wounds at the ends of each finger and knew what they'd done.

"Oh Catherine.........they......declawed you didn't they?"

She nodded as Warrick just looked at her.

"I know you're in pain, but we need to try and get you out of here......so...." He suddenly stopped. He was aware of a warmth in the palms of his hands that wasn't coming from hers in his.

"Catherine. I want to try something, ok? It may not work and I don't know if it will.....but, I think that maybe I have the ability to heal others as well. Can I try to heal your hands?"

She nodded.

"Even if it means you having claws again?"

She nodded again.

"Alright...here goes." He closed his eyes and concentrated on the warmth, willing it to go into Catherine's outstretched hands. After a few moments of growing heat, suddenly it stopped. He opened his eyes and looked at her.

"You did it!" She said as she flexed her hands and fingers one by one, lengthening and retracting her claws effortlessly. "My hands are fine.....and I'm fine. I'm not sick from the infection anymore." She threw her arms around him and kissing him passionately. Pulling away, she smiled....."I never in a million years would have thought I'd be so glad to have my claws....but......turns out I need them.....especially in this new line of work we seem to have."

"I agree, Cath.....now let's get you out of here." Warrick stood and helped her towards the door and Greg.

* * *

**Sorry this took so long.....REVIEW please!! :)**


	16. Ok, So Not Quite Rescued Yet

**I don't own anything....**

* * *

Catherine and Warrick were about five feet from the door when Greg turned around and saw them close by. He checked both ways down the hall to make sure it was still clear so they could make a break for it, but by the time he looked around again, Catherine had hit the ground on her knees, obviously in pain.

"Cath? What's wrong?" Warrick asked quickly.

"I...." She gasped for air. "I don't know...."

"Did I not heal you completely? Should I try again?" He suggested.

"It's not that......it's something different.........but.........." She doubled over.

"What's going on?" Greg quickly left his position in the hallway to check on them.

"I don't know. She was really sick and I healed her, I thought.....but now.....something's not right." He answered as he held onto Catherine, laying her back down into his lap.

"So shouldn't we go ahead and get out of here now..? I know she's in pain, but we need to get OUT of here." Greg said forcefully.

"I know, you're right, let me just......"

"Let you just do what?" A voice boomed from the doorway.

* * *

Sara had made it back to Grissom and Nick just in time to help them out with her baseball bat as well. Robert had created quite the little mutant army here, but so far, they'd successfully subdued that electrical guy, a couple of flame-throwers and a guy with super strength. With them now tied up, they regrouped.

"So what now?" Nick asked.

"We wait." Grissom answered.

"But shouldn't they be back already? I mean, I left Greg and Warrick over fifteen minutes ago. All they had to do was pick up Catherine and come back here........so maybe we should go check on them..." Sara suggested.

"But if everything's going ok, we could just cause a bigger mess for them, and Robert has to know that we're here.....what if he's saving the best for last, we head back into the warehouse and then our exit is blocked." Nick added.

"Alright, then. We wait.....for a few more minutes.....but if they don't show up, then Nick, I want you to go find them, while Sara and I wait here, guarding our exit......deal?"

"Deal." Sara and Nick said in unison.

* * *

"Robert?" Greg said calmly. "What brings you here?"

"What brings YOU here, is a better question?" He answered coldly, then looking to the man beside him, gave a silent order.

Both of them lunged for Greg and Warrick simultaneously, the first hitting the floor because Greg flew out of the way, the second being met with a fierce punch from Warrick that knocked him back to the ground. About the time all four men went at it again, but two more of Robert's "men" showed up, one shooting ice and the other doing some sort of mind control thing. Within seconds, Warrick was being controlled to hit himself in the gut repeatedly and Greg was encapsulated in ice.

"Stop!" Catherine yelled from her place on the floor, trying to stand up.

Robert did indeed, stop momentarily to look at her, a smile slowly showing on his face.

"It's me you want. Not them.....just.....let them go......" She pleaded.

"It is you I want.....and I think it's you I'm going to get after all."

"What?" She asked, confused.

"It's just that it seems the water I've been dosing you with the past day seems to have done what I'd hoped."

"Which is??"

"Re-activated your mutation, furthering it, in a sense. Hopefully now, you'll come to your senses about living in a world that won't accept you......and join me."

Catherine just stared at him, afraid she didn't want to know just how much further the water had affected her.

"It took a while and I wasn't even sure it was going to work you were so sick, but it seems that....thanks to your healer friend over there, you got well enough for it to actually do something."

Warrick and Greg were now able to see what Robert was talking about and they both could only hope that the changes that had occured in the past few minutes were the _only_ ones she would have to deal with.

Infuriated, Catherine thought hard and fast. IF she fought back now, they might all die, but if she played along........

"I would like the opportunity to be alone with my thoughts, Robert..." She said quickly and calmly.

Everyone's head perked up in surprise at her statement.

"To examine yourself, no doubt..." Robert smirked.

"Yes....and no.....to......." She hesitated not wanting to seem too eager, in hopes that she would be convincing. "To....think about what I'm going to do.....about.......everything."

"Ah....curiosity may NOT kill the cat after all.........I'm just glad you're going to think about it. Although, I'd hurry if I were you.....your friends here don't have that much time before we start offing them in an effort to further your decision." He replied.

"Just let me think!!" She raged, finally snapping, feeling the intensity of her hatred towards him.

"Boys.....take dear Catherine's rescuers to the cell in my office.......while I escort her to a room where she can 'think."

The man with controlling abilities made sure Warrick, Greg followed without any trouble. They were thrown into a small cell with bars, the door slamming closed behind them.

"Dude.....she's not serious is she?" Greg asked Warrick.

"I can't imagine that she is.......I"m sure she's just playing along to try and buy some time...."

"Yeah, but.......what if........what if she freaks out and really does join him......I mean, she can't really be a CSI anymore........did you see her?"

"Yes......but this is Cath we're talking about. Of course she'll freak out......but she'll deal......she always does."

* * *

Robert forcefully guided Catherine to what looked like where he'd been sleeping. There was a small bed, dresser, TV and bathroom connected.

"You have twenty minutes." He said, pushing her inside and slamming the door closed, locking it once it was shut.

Spinning around she slammed her hands up against the door, consequently leaving pretty deep claw marks in the cheap wood. Lowering her head, she closed her eyes and leaned it against the door as well, trying not to cry. In the silence and stillness of the room, she became aware of something touching her legs, brushing up against them every second or so. Jumping, she thought for a moment someone was in there with her, before looking down and understanding.

A rather long and very fur-covered tail had been brushing up against her legs. Her tail, apparently. She grabbed the end of it and squeezed, sending a small wave of pain through her body causing her to let go. Concentrating, she tried to move it and was quite successful at controlling it......just like her arm or leg. Knowing that the tail wasn't the only shock she was in for, she slowly walked to the bathroom, turned on the light and looked into the mirror.

It wasn't as bad as she'd imagined, but bad enough.

Her canines had elongated on the top and bottom to the length of an animals' and she had pointed, strawberry-blonde fur-covered ears on the top of her head.

"I'm going to kill him." She whispered, storming back into the other room. She tried to sit down on the bed, but her tail kept getting in the way and she'd end up sitting on it. Finally, she just gave up and paced back and forth. As her anger rose, she could tell that she was more aggressive than she'd been previously. Her mind began to cloud with images of her killing Robert and not much else. As much as she wanted to sit and cry, taking him out was on the forefront of everything else.

_Catherine, you have to be careful here. Don't do anything to hurt Warrick and Greg........where were Grissom, Nick and Sara? Just kill him and get it over with, then you can deal with the rest of them...._

Her mind was going a mile a minute trying to plan her moves before he.....

There was a knock at the door.

She smiled, knowing exactly what she was going to do.

* * *

"Nick, I think it's time." Grissom said after a few more minutes had passed and still nothing.

"If I'm not back in ten minutes...."

"We'll come after you, don't worry." Sara smiled.

Nick instantly felt his worry leave as Sara suggested that he do otherwise.

"Sar.......I'm not worried anymore.....and I think you did it.........I'll be back, but you guys figure that out..." Nick said, winking before disappearing.

"You don't think I can actually control people's emotions do you?" Sara said, turning back towards Grissom.

"It's possible......and if you can control emotions.......maybe you can control even more than that....." He suggested.

"Maybe......" She began, looking down towards the floor in thought.

"What are you...."

"Shhh....I'm concentrating." She chided him.

He silenced himself, letting her concentrate while keeping an eye out for anything happening. He was just about to suggest that they work on that later and stand guard when he opened his mouth and said, "I'm Gil Grissom and I'm obsessed with bugs."

Sara laughed hysterically while Grissom stood agahst.

"I'm not sure I like this new development in your ability." Grissom said.

She smiled, "Maybe I do."

Grissom felt himself take a step towards her, close his eyes and lean towards her lips, but then stop.

"I'm not going to _make_ you kiss me Gil....."

He sighed and pressed his lips to hers completely of his own volition.

* * *

"I'm assuming you've made a decision?" Robert asked Catherine as she stood in the doorway.

"I have. I saw what you did to me, thought about everything.....and have, in fact, made a decision."

"Glad to hear it."

"Could we step into your office to discuss it?" She asked.

"Of course." He held his arm out suggesting that she go first. "After you...."

* * *

**REVIEW!! PLEASE....ok, so I know it's dragging on and even getting weird...BUT.....we're nearing the end....I PROMISE.....! :)**


	17. Charade

**I don't own anything....**

**I know this is SOOOO short, but it's an update....and it'll get me back in the game...**

**Thanks for all who are still reading and to Julie for encouraging me to continue!!!**

* * *

Catherine slowly stepped into Robert's office in front of him. He closed the door and gestured for her to sit down. As she did so, she immediately noticed a holding cell behind his desk......with Greg and Warrick just sitting there, staring at her. If it'd been any other time, she'd have become uber self-conscious about how she now looked, but it was not any other time and there were far more important things to deal with.....like killing the man in front of her.

"So?" He asked as he joined her sitting down.

Catherine took a deep breath and answered, "So....I thought about it and.....there's no way now I can......" She began to cry. She'd planned to 'fake' cry, but now found that the tears coming were very real. "I can't have a normal life ever again.......I'm the only one of my team who can't........and you were right....I just think people will be afraid of me, so....." She began to cry harder, hoping that her sob-fest would lead him to putting his guard down.

It did.

His face softened for the first time in a while and he just stared at her, not knowing what to say. Sure, he'd wanted to take away her choice, and he didn't like her at all, but he never did do well with a crying woman.

As long as Catherine cried, he continued to sit there, bewildered about what to say or do.

And as long as the two of them sat there, Greg and Warrick were watching, not sure what to think about anything. They were almost completely sure Catherine was faking and had some sort of plan, but, the longer she cried, they both realized she was REALLY crying, and if she was really crying, how much else was real?

What if the fact that she was now so......very obviously feline got to her and she didn't feel she could even hope for the tiniest bit of normalcy. What if these new changes brought increased aggression and she really was thinking about joining up with robert? They honestly did think so.......but the fact that there was even a shadow of a doubt made the two of them very uneasy.

* * *

Nick made his way to Robert's office without any trouble. Being invisible did indeed have its' advantages....especially once he was able to go back and forth between the two whenever he wanted. Leaning his ear to the door, he could make out Robert talking softly, and....Catherine, crying? He paused, not wanting to barge in not knowing where Greg and WArrick were and exactly who was behind that door. He continued down the hallway searching for the other CSI's, but after exhausting all the rooms, he realized that they must have also been in Robert's office.....most probably locked or chained up. So he headed back down the hallway for the office.

Just as he got there, he heard noise right by the door, and suddenly the door opened and Robert stepped outside. Nick managed to slip inside without him realizing before he closed the door behind him, locking it as he did so.

At the back of the room, he saw Nick and Warrick behind a cell door and a woman with a.....tail? standing at the cell door with her back to him. It only took Nick another half a second to realize that the woman standing in front of him was Catherine. He re-appeared, startling Greg and WArrick, making them jump and, in the process, startling Catherine, making her jump as well.

"Nick! Geez, you scared me!" She hissed.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to....I....." He couldn't help but stare at her and she noticed. "Uh.....what........"

"What happened?" She sniffed a few remaining tears away. "Robert gave me more of the water....and it........" She shrugged her shoulders.

"I'm sorry." He replied.

"Me too......but right now, we need to get you all out of here so I can deal with him personally."

"Cath....we're all in this together...we'll all deal with him together...." Warrick said.

"No! I want you out of here......you can go out and help people, but I.......I can never.....people would just be afraid of me......so I will deal with him."

"Not gonna happen, Catherine." Nick said reiterating what Warrick had said.

"People will not be afraid of you, babe.......maybe apprehensive, or shocked even......but you're a good woman who wants to help people......they'll see that. Don't let Robert's BS go to your head."

"Maybe.....maybe not, but I want to deal with him. It's just.......it's just something I need to do, ok." She said back. "Just let me convince him I want to join him, so that I can make my move when the time's right."

"But I just don't think we can...." Greg stopped mid-sentence as the door opened and Robert returned, carrying tissues and food for Catherine. Nick immediately disappeared so he hadn't seen him, but Robert had seen Catherine talking to Greg and Warrick and knew the whole thing had been a charade.

"Well, well....." He said.

* * *

**REVIEW.... :)**


	18. The Jig Is UP

**I don't own anything....**

* * *

"What do we have here......besides little miss kitty kat playing me for a fool......" He said, a low growl emanating from his chest.

"It really wasn't all that difficult to do Robert. After all....you _are_ a fool." Catherine maliciously replied.

Robert angrily threw the stuff in his hands to the ground and stepped forward, obviously in a dare, and actually began snarling at her.

Nick remained unseen as he didn't want to make his move too soon and really figured Catherine could probably handle Robert herself, especially as angry as she currently was. Warrick and Greg watched helplessly as the fur on her tail puffed out in anger, her ears flattened against her head and she began sauntering towards Robert, seemingly unphased by his aggression.

"Do you really think growling is going to phase me? You have yet to do anything to me yourself. All you have the guts for is sending someone else in to do your job! Be a man Robert.....or whatever it is you are now!"

"I'd watch myself if I were you Catherine........which one of us do you really think is going to win this fight? I'm bigger.......and I'm stronger......."

"And I can smell fear coming off of you in waves............." She paused, looking at her fingers in contemplation. "Plus.....I have claws......." She finished, glaring at him as if she didn't think he stood a chance.

Even if they'd have tried, no one in the room could have made it in between them fast enough as Robert lunged for Catherine's throat, his hands closing in around her neck, forcing her up against the steel bars of the cell. Catherine fought back, trying desperately to get a breath and grabbed his hands around her throat, digging in as hard as she possibly could. He yelped, quickly releasing her, but only momentarily. He jumped at her again, this time missing her as Catherine jumped in one swift movement on top of his desk. He charged for her feet, hoping to throw her off her guard or off the desk and hopefully both. She teetered and fell from the force of his body against her legs, but landed effortlessly on her feet. She stayed crouched down, trying to plan her next move when she heard his voice.

"Come on, Cat.....where'd you go? Given up so soon?"

She quickly stood, rounding the corner of the desk.

"Do.....not.....call me......that." She gritted her teeth.

"What? Cat? Why not......_Cat?"_

"I am telling you right now, in front of witnessess, that if you call me that one time, I swear I will rip your throat out......and I won't lose a minute of sleep over it."

"Oh I doubt that......your too timid to actually do that.......aren't ya......Cat?" He said, grinning evily.

Warrick quickly looked to where he though Nick was standing, trying to motion with his eyes to do something....to step in somehow. Although, Nick was only invisible, not invincable.....Warrick was the one with the best shot to stop them before.......well, he was pretty sure it would be Catherine doing the killing if it got to that point.

Nick saw Warrick looking at him, and knew exactly what he was thinking. He quickly began looking around the room for the keys to the cell, also knowing that Warrick stood a much better chance. He certainly didn't know what would happen if he got in between two crazed......._animals _going at it. He briefly remembered trying to break up two of his dogs for fighting once when he was a child....and he'd gone to the ER with bad bites because of it.

"That's it!" Catherine's yell snapped Nick back to focusing on his objective. He saw her make the first move, knocking Robert to the ground and pinning his arms to his sides, digging her claws in by the look on Robert's face. Just then, Nick noticed a flash of silver from Robert's pocket. The keys. He'd have to get them.....lucky he was invisible.

* * *

"Um.....not that I want to stop this..." Grissom paused from in between a kiss with Sara. "But....it's been over ten minutes and no one's come back." He finished.

"You're right, Gil." She kissed him once more and smiled. "Now I'm ready. Let's go."

"After you ma'am." He said, gesturing for her to go.

"Thank you." She said, smirking.

"Well, ladies first...."

"No.....you know what I mean....."

"I...."

"You just want to admire my.....backside.......thank you......I'm glad you like it." She said, laughing as the two began down the hallway.

* * *

Nick approached Robert and Catherine as easily and quietly as he could....although, he doubted they would have noticed anyway. The two had been going at it for what seemed an eternity, each flip flopping between having the upper hand. Catherine had bites all over her arms and was bleeding pretty profusely. Robert had just as many, not to mention countless claw-inflicted wounds. Neither seemed to be slowing down however, and somehow Robert had managed to keep Catherine's mouth away from his throat.....not that she hadn't tried.

Nick waited until Robert's back was to the ground and he made his move. Sliding in carefully, he quickly stuck his hand in his pants' pocket and pulled out the keys, seemingly unnoticed. Before he could back away, Catherine's arm swung through the air to dig into Robert, but she hit Nick instead, instantly causing him to yelp and bleed. Although Nick was invisible, his blood was not and the sight caused both Robert and Catherine to momentarily freeze.

"Nick...I......" She began, but Robert regained composure, successfully taking advantage of the moment to pin her arms behind her back, his knee pinning her to the ground.

"Give me the key.......or she dies." He said to thin air.

"Nick.....let Warrick and Greg out......" She whimpered, his knee digging into her spin further.

Nick knew she was right. If he was going to kill her, he'd do it either way. He slipped as quickly as he could to the cell, unlocking it.

"I told you.......she......." He stopped as something hit him, knocking him off of Catherine.

Greg had flown straight out of the cell, pounding Robert to the floor.

"Try picking on someone your own size......." Greg said, firmly.

Warrick extended his hand to Catherine to help her up as Nick reappeared.

She took it, but as soon as she was up, pulled away and hissed at the three of them. "Now I expect you to stay away....and let me finish this."

"Not a chance, Catherine....." Greg said as he stepped towards her, gently placing his hand on her shoulder, not expecting the response he got. She angrily swatted his hand away, wounding him in the process.

"Ouch, Catherine.......what's your...."

"I think it's pretty obvious what my problem is....don't you....? Now, go get Grissom and Sara and go to work or something......leave me alone!"

"Cath......I am not going to let maim or kill him.....I hate him too....but we're CSI's...let the police handle him..." Warrick began, eyeing Robert as he began to stand back up.

She put her hand in his face. "Don't think I won't hurt you too......." She said, looking at Nick's bleeding arm and Greg's bleeding hand.....both would need stitches.......and the thing was, she hadn't even really meant to cause them harm.

"I'm sorry...." She said, mournfully. "I.....I'll only hurt you all in the long run......it's just who I am now....." She turned back toward Robert, who was growling at all of them now. Catherine gathered every ounch of pent-up frustration and animal aggression within her and made the first move.

* * *

Sara and Grissom had searched much of the building without success, and were finally approaching Robert's office. They didn't hear anything audibly, but Sara heard plenty.

"What? What is it?" He asked.

She just shook her head and motioned for him to follow her in the room.

Nick, Greg and Warrick were just standing there and barely registered the new presence in the room.

Robert was lying on the floor, Catherine stradling him........her mouth and his neck covered in blood. Neither one of them moved.

* * *

**Update! Yay! REVIEW....and PLEASE, PLEASE...go update your superhero stories....I really really really want to finish reading them....they are all so good!!! :)**


	19. Calm Down

**I don't own anything....I know, I know, it's been FOREVER!!!!**

* * *

_Sara..._ Grissom sent his thoughts out to her as he eyed the wild look in Catherine's eyes and the bleeding, unconscious Robert. _Do you think you can use your mind to 'convince' Catherine to calm down and move away?_

Sara hadn't thought of that since she'd only recently realized she could control anyone at all, but she had to admit, it was well worth a shot.

"Catherine..." She began slowly, not wanting to make any sudden movements and startle the already on edge woman, who Sara slowly noticed looked different and more animal than ever. Catherine didn't respond to Sara's call but only continued eyeing Robert. Whether it was still in aggression or from remorse, the team didnt' know.

"Catherine..." Sara tried again. "I know you're upset right now, but I need you to slowly stand up and let Warrick take you outside. I then think you should sit down and wait for us" She eyed Warrick.

Catherine very slowly and remarkably did as she was told, Warrick gently placing his hand on the small of her back and leading her outside. As soon as she was sitting and Warrick was convinced she was staying put, he quickly ran back into the room hoping he could heal Robert. Not that he wanted to, though.

"I don't know how you did that Sara, but I'm glad you and Griss showed up when you did. We couldn't stop her, it happened so fast." He said, crouching down next to Robert and placing his hands gently on the injured man's neck. Warrick soon felt his hands gaining heat until they were burning hot. Much hotter than they'd gotten with Catherine, but, then again, her injuries weren't quite life threatening. He continued letting the heat course through his body until he finally felt the wounds were healing, and much of his energy draining. Finally, he stopped just short of complete healing, hoping that Robert would stay wounded just enough that he couldn't put up much of a fight.

"Greg? You wanna grab some of those handcuffs he had over on the desk?" He asked. Greg quickly shot over to Robert's desk, grabbed and pair of handcuffs and helped Warrick handcuff his hands behind his back, sitting him up slowly in the process as he was still unconscious. "What about the rest of his cronies....?" He asked hoping they were done fighting for the time being.

"Grissom and I got some of them right after you took off to find Catherine and we think we finished them off just now." She said looking back down at Robert, concerned. Not for him, but for what would happen to Catherine if he died and she became a murderer.

"He's going to be ok, then?" Grissom asked.

"Yeah...I realized when we found Catherine that I could heal other people too, not just myself."

"About her..." Nick said slowly, not wanting to be the one to state the obvious. "She...she tried to kill Robert."

"Wouldn't you?" Greg asked, obviously siding with Catherine.

"Maybe..." Warrick replied.

Grissom, Nick and Sara just shook their heads though not believing they would have resorted to attempted murder.

"The thing is, she didn't kill him. He's going to be just fine. Catherine, on the other hand...needs some help." Warrick told them, his feelings for her coming through in his emotion and words.

"I really thought she had calmed down. I mean, I know he kidnapped her, but she kind of volunteered herself for that......what made her snap like this?" Sara asked to no one in particular.

"You didn't see what they did to her. When Greg and I found her in the room where they were holding her, she was barely conscious. She had been beaten, half-starved and was fighting a pretty serious infection."

"An infection?" Grissom asked.

"A bad one. They...she wasn't cooperating with them. Told them she wouldn't join them, so they....took a pair of pliers and declawed her. One finger at a time. The wounds got badly infected and it spread."

"They declawed her?" Nick asked, shocked and pained for what his friend had been through.

"Brutally so. I was able to heal her, but, apparently Robert had been dosing her with more of that water. Something about making her more aggressive, more animal, in hopes she would join him. It wasn't working because her bodies' first priority was fighting the infection.....but when I healed her, the mutation was able to progress, and..."

"That explains her having a tail...among other things..." Sara almost whispered.

"And her increased aggression.....and the reason behind it....both instinctually and emotionally. She is more aggressive and he's the reason why." Warrick shrugged.

"So how do we help her?" Greg asked.

"I'm not sure in the long run...but, Sara? Do you think you could talk to her? Maybe make her calm down and be ok. At least until we can get her home and rested up well. She's been through a lot more than the rest of us...physically especially. Maybe a few days of normalcy will help us be able to help her." Grissom suggested.

"I'll try." Sara stated.

"And as soon as we get her out of here, our priority is to take care of the rest of these idiots. They're all indisposed at the moment, but we can't forget about them. Or the danger they pose." Grissom reminded everyone.

"Agreed." They all murmured as Sara went back outside to check on Catherine. She poked her head back inside. "She's fine and cooperating. Although I'm not sure if it's on her own free will or not." She smiled slightly. "I'm going to take her home. Will the rest of you be able to clean up things around here?" She asked, halfway joking.

"Well, I, for one, will miss the company of you ladies..." Greg smiled. "But we'll be fine. We're superheroes, remember?"

* * *

Sara had been able to get Catherine home with remarkable ease as she was really getting good at that whoel mind controlling thing. They arrived at Catherine's house and the two women unlocked the front door and headed for the living room where Catherine robotically sat down. Sara left her and went to the kitchen, hoping to find them both something to eat.

She opened up the pantry and tried not to roll her eyes at all the various kinds of tuna Catherine had been able to stock up on in just a few days. Nevertheless, Sara grabbed a couple of cans and opened them. She made herself a tuna sandwich but thought Catherine would prefer hers plain. Opening up the fridge, she grabbed herself a bottle of water and poured a tall glass of milk for the other woman. Cats liked milk right? Sara had really always been more of a dog person.

Carrying the food and drinks back into the living room, she saw that Catherine had laid down on the couch, eyes closed. Sara couldn't help but think she looked remarkably peaceful for a woman who'd been turned into a virtual cat, held hostage and almost committed a murder. The problem was, she realized then, was that Catherine was calm, but only because Sara had forced her to be. There was no inner peace there at all. Sara wondered if there was a way for her to tone down her power a bit to simply help Catherine actually become calmer or if she only had the ability to make people do as she suggested. It was worth a try, but would take work on both of their parts, assuming the suggesting thing worked at all. For now, though, they both needed to eat something.

"Catherine? I brought you some...." She began but didn't need to finish as Catherine sniffed loudly and immediately opened her eyes, slowly sitting up and reaching for the plate.

"Thanks, Sara." Catherine said quietly, ravenously finishing off three cans of tuna like they were nothing before Sara even got two bites into her sandwich.

As soon as she finished her glass of milk, Sara could feel, and hear, that Catherine was getting antsy, and a little bit aggressive again. Sara guessed it'd been too long since she'd given her a command.

"Cath....why don't you take a deep breath, calm down and go take a shower. Get yourself cleaned up. I'll put these dishes away and tidy up your kitchen." Sara 'suggested.'

"Alright..." Catherine said slowly the look on her face telling Sara she wasn't sure why she was doing what she'd been told. She stood anyway and walked upstairs. Sara finished her sandwich and a few moments later, heard water running. She then called Grissom to check up on them. They'd more effectively incapacitated all of Robert's little henchmen much better this time around since they knew what they were up against and had more time. Then they'd taken them to the police department, making sure they understood what they were dealing with. Well, actually Nick had been the one to deliver...invisibly of course. Las Vegas' finest CSI team couldn't exactly let on to their coworkers that they were also the cities' only team of masked men...er, and women. Sara was glad to hear everything was ok and that Grissom and Warrick would be headed over soon. Grissom, to take Sara home and Warrick to stay with Catherine.

She finished putting the washed dishes away and taking out the trash when she heard Catherine come back downstairs.

"Sara?" Catherine asked, sounding tense.

"Yes?" She answered meeting the voice in the living room.

"What are you doing to me?" She asked.

"What do you mean?"

"I think you know what I mean. Everytime I'm around you I get calm. But not really calm, you know? Just, quasi-calm. Calm enough to not cause a scene or hurt anyone. But not ok....not really."

Sara stared at her for a minute wondering if she could really help Catherine. If anyone could.

She sat down and watched as Catherine followed suit, combing her wet hair with her fingers.

"I...I don't just read thoughts...I can also control them, therefore, controlling people's actions as well. I've been keeping you calm, basically...ever since you attacked Robert."

"Well, stop it!" Catherine's voice raised. "I'm just fine on my own, thank you!" She huffed, pulling her hand out of her hair and noticing there were still smudges of dirt on the back of it. Without thinking, she began to lick herself clean, only to stop a few seconds later, realizing what she was doing. Realizing simultaneously what she'd done to Robert.

"What the hell am I doing? What the hell have I done?" She turned to Sara, trying not to cry. "I killed him! I killed him and I liked it....." She began to cry, unable to hold it back any longer. "He was right...I really am an animal..."

"Catherine...."

"DO NOT force me to calm down or whatever it is you do!" Catherine screamed.

"I wasn't going to this time. I was just going to tell you that you didn't kill him. Almost, but no. He lost a lot of blood but Warrick was able to heal him. He's been taken to a hospital where he's currently handcuffed to a bed."

Catherine continued to cry angrily.

"Catherine....I don't want to force you to calm down, but if you don't calm down and get some sleep, you're never going to be able to deal with everything that's happened to you."

"What do YOU know about what's happened to me! So what....he's still alive....it doesn't change the fact that I wanted him dead! That I intended for him to die!"

Sara knew Catherine spoke the truth, but she also knew the SHE was right. Catherine needed to sleep.

"Catherine, I'm sorry, but....I need you to calm down, stop crying and go upstairs to bed." She said.

Catherine almost immediately softened to a whimper, stood, and walked upstairs.

Sara sighed heavily, ready for Warrick to show up. Maybe tomorrow they'd have more luck.

* * *

**REVIEW!!! If anyone's still reading... :( So sorry for the long time no update... :( Very busy summer.**


	20. I Know You Do

**I don't own anything....well, this is sooner than the last one!**

* * *

There was a soft tapping at her bedroom door but it startled her nonetheless. She jumped, dropping the pair of scissors in her hand. Sara may have calmed her down a bit, and she'd gotten a good night's sleep, but was still pretty skiddish.

"Catherine?" Warrick's soft and caring voice said through the door. "Cath? Are you awake? Can I come in?" He asked ever so gently. Catherine let out a sigh of relief that is wasn't Grissom there to yell at her, or Sara with her little mind tricks. It was just Warrick. She picked the scissors back up so she wouldn't step on them and walked over to open the door.

"Is it just you?" She asked.

"Yes. I sent Sara home to grab a shower and change of clothes." He answered walking in.

"Hmmm, she agreed to leave you here alone to watch me?" Catherine somewhat sarcastically pondered.

"We're all just worried about you Cath. That's all."

"I'm aware of that." She answered trying to breath deeply and keep her heartrate down to a calm level.

Warrick glanced nervously at the sharp pair of scissors and wondered what on earth she could be doing with them.

"Uh, the scissors?" He asked.

"It's nothing." She said putting them on her nightstand and sitting on her bed, making a bit of a face as she did so.

"What?" He inquired.

"It's nothing." She repeated sounding either frustrated or embarassed and maybe both.

"Catherine......I thought...."

"You thought what?" She said sounding even more annoyed. Warrick knew she was going through a lot but he was still disappointed. He really thought they'd made progress in their relationship since this whole thing had started and now, well, he felt she was slipping away from him.....from all of them....including herself.

"I thought we were....that we had....and I just asked a simple question and you can't or won't answer it. It's not even about the question. It's about you. I care about you and I'm worried about you getting a grip on yourself." He rather calmly said considering how frustrated he felt.

Catherine stared at the floor for what seemed an eternity before looking up at him, still standing in her doorway.

"It's....it's just my damn tail!" She fumed. "I don't know how I'm supposed to sit down with this stupid thing. I end up sitting on it and it _hurts! _The only way I can move it out of the way is....well, if I don't have any pants on and obviously I can't go around like that all the time!!"

Warrick couldn't help but chuckle. "Well, some of us might not mind."

Catherine glared at him secretly trying not to smile and wanting to stay angry. She was fading fast though. She slightly cracked a smile and continued. "Well, you may not, but I have a feeling that I and the rest of the world does mind." She motioned to the scissors. "I was trying to cut a slit in the right place of my pajama pants so I can...." She stopped embarassment overcoming her again. It was ridiculous. She felt so ridiculous. Who had to to modify their clothes so their tail wasn't a problem anymore?

Warrick didn't say a word. He simply walked over to the side table, picked up the scissors, and motioned for her to stand up.

"Warrick it's fine, you don't have to...."

"Well, I'm going to. When you feel the way I feel about you, you just do things for that person, ok? Let me take care of you, Catherine."

She sighed and did as she was told.

He very carefully cut a hole just bit enough in her pants and then wrapped his arms around her waist. "May I?"

"May you what?"

"See if it's going to work?"

"I....I guess." She said still feeling uncomfortable.

Gently again, Warrick pulled her tail through the hole and then smoothed her ruffled fur.

"There. See if that's better."

She sat down on the bed effectively swishing her tail up and out from under her as she sat down. She smiled for all of a second before collapsing into tears.

"Catherine...?" Warrick questioned, scooping her up into his arms and laying her back down on the bed. He held her tightly before asking anything. "Cath....talk to me...." He felt so awful and inadequate to help the woman he was holding. All he felt he could do at this point was just to love her. Maybe that would be enough.

"I.........I........just want to be.......me again!" She sobbed, Warrick not really too surprised at her response. He could tell her he thought she'd gotten over that, because truthfully, he thought she had, but again, things just kept getting worse for her and he couldn't understand that.

"I know.....I know you do, babe." He whispered, pulling her closer.

She cried for a long time before finally dozing off again. Warrick was glad and knew she needed much more rest than the little she'd gotten. It had been evident when he knocked on her door she was still exhausted, and she was in no place to deal with anything when she was as drained as she was currently.

He tucked his legs into the crooks of hers so that they were perfectly fitted together and gently stroked her arm with his fingertips. It was only a matter of seconds before her body responded and she began purring in her sleep. He smiled. He really did love her...._all _of her. He couldn't help it. He had been head over heels for Catherine Willows for years and a few little things like some animal behavior, claws and a tail, to name a few, certainly weren't going to stop him from showing her how much he felt for her. In fact, he couldn't help but like those things about her. He wasn't sure why, but he honestly did.

Before long, Warrick found himself being slowly lulled to sleep due to her purring and fell asleep beside her.

* * *

**REVIEW!!! Fluff extraordinaire, but I was feeling it today. We are ALMOST finished....next chapter warrick and sara help catherine through some things and when she does make some progress, discovers something she did'nt know before...mwahaha.......then a closing chapter or two.**

Also, PLEASE check out the two stories I beta for...they are SOOOO good...

_A Bite Out of Crime (If you like yobling, you will like this one...especially a few chapters in....mwahaha_)

/s/5148177/1/A_Bite_Out_of_Crime Ok, copy and paste this into a new browser but then you're going to have to add the whole http and to the beginning of it. If that doesn't work, just go to CSI crossovers CSI and Twilight for this one. For some reason it won't let me post an address.

_Wizarding World (If you like harry potter, greg and nick being cute and catherine just well, a lot of catherine, read this one!!!)_

/s/5224892/1/CSI_Wizarding_World Same thing for this one, or go to CSI and Harry Potter crossovers and you'll see it at the top.


	21. Werewolves

**I don't own anything.**

* * *

Ok this isn't an update, per se...but I'm working on the next chapter as we speak and hope to have it up soon. (although there were no reviews last time...sniff, sniff.) :)

NEW challenge: mwahahaha (even though some of us aren't finished with this one..I just had a new idea...)

As I think it is obvious, I like weird/supernatural stories involving our CSI's so...new challenge:

**Werewolves**

**Again...I prefer the story to center around catherine but I"m open to different pairings besides she and Warrick this time. Cath/Warrick, Cath/Gil, Cath/Nick, even Cath/Greg....no rules except focuses on Catherine, werewolves are real, have fun. :)**

**Can be one-shot, multi-chapter, serious or parody**

**PM me if you post something!!!!!**

Also, PLEASE check out the two stories I beta for...they are SOOOO good...

_A Bite Out of Crime (If you like yobling, you will like this one...especially a few chapters in....mwahaha_)

/s/5148177/1/A_Bite_Out_of_Crime Ok, copy and paste this into a new browser but then you're going to have to add the whole http and to the beginning of it. If that doesn't work, just go to CSI crossovers CSI and Twilight for this one. For some reason it won't let me post an address.

_Wizarding World (If you like harry potter, greg and nick being cute and catherine just well, a lot of catherine, read this one!!!)_

/s/5224892/1/CSI_Wizarding_World Same thing for this one, or go to CSI and Harry Potter crossovers and you'll see it at the top.


	22. Ready

**It's been way too long, but...here you go.**

Catherine sat straight up in bed, surprised she didn't wake Warrick on doing so. Someone was knocking at her door again, and this time, it most likely was Grissom or Sara. Readying herself for the verbal lashing she was sure to get, she sighed and headed towards the door. She couldn't help but notice that she felt a little more like herself. A little more in control.

"Why haven't you been answering your phone?" Grissom halfway yelled.

"Gil, I've been sleeping for who knows how long. Rapid genetic mutations really take it out of you, ya know?" She glared at him. "Not to mention the fact that I don't need to hear whatever it is you're going to say to me about-"

"About the fact that you attempted to murder someone?"

"Grissom, look, I get it. I tried to kill him and I clearly wanted him to suffer, but he didn't die. He. Didn't. Die. I realize you are all dealing with changes too, but in the past 72 hours, I've had every natural impulse and instinct that I've ever known turn into something animalistic. And on top of that, I hadn't had hardly any sleep, food, or water and that kind of deprivation will make any sane person snap. I haven't coped well, I'm the first to admit, but I can't change what I've done or what I've become."

"Catherine, whether or not you can change is a conversation for another time and quite frankly, I don't have time to deal with your self-absorption right now."

"IF you're not here to give me a lecture, please get to the point."

"We need you."

"For what?"

"There's an Amber Alert. A little girl was kidnapped from the park a few blocks from your house."

Catherine started to shut the door in his face. It wasn't that she didn't care about the little girl, rather, she didn't trust herself around much of anyone after trying to kill Robert and injuring Nick and Greg. Grissom stepped into the doorway preventing the door from closing.

"You're all superheroes, take care of it yourself."

"Catherine I don't have time for this. You clearly need some time to pull yourself together and figure out how to deal with _This..." _He gestured towards her, "but now is not the time."

"Then stop wasting it and go help her!"

"Because we need you. The kidnapping just happened, her scent should still be detectable...to someone who can smell it."

Catherine paused. She wanted to help, but...

"I'm not your bloodhound Grissom, I'm not a hero, and I'm certainly not giving people a freak show in broad daylight! Get the police dogs on the chase."

"It would take them 20 minutes to get there. We could find her now."

Catherine stared at the floor, before pushing Grissom backwards and shutting the door.

"Give me 60 seconds to get dressed."

Catherine pulled on a pair of jeans and a basic black top faster than she'd ever done in her life. She tried not to think about how people would look at her and instead focused on the little girl and how scared she must be. Grabbing her mask of the bedside table, she ran to the door.

"Ready."


End file.
